Shayla's Story
by Gema J. Gall
Summary: FINISHED A blind duelist is determined to show the world her worth. But her past may just be catching up with her in the Duelist Kingdom.
1. Welcome to the Duelist Kingdom

YU-GI-OH! FAN FICTION  
  
Shayla's Story  
  
By: Gema J. Gall  
  
Disclaimer: I always try to give credit where credit is due so... Yu-Gi-Oh! And all associated things like Rex Raptor, Seto Kaiba, and Duel Monsters... are originally created by Kazuki Takahashi and the TV series was created by Junki Takegami. I hope I got the names right. Please don't sue me, I'm  
doing my best.  
  
The passengers noisily left the boat. On the top deck a young girl with curly dark brown hair listened as they left. Then she grabbed her backpack and head to the lower levels. She was thin and tall. Her hair was blown all over the place, but she didn't even bother to brush it out of her eyes. She wore baggy flare jeans and a red shirt with the sleeves flared. She walked down the ship like she had been born on it. Never once did she falter in her steps, but her right hand never left the wall. She paused once on the second deck when she heard footsteps approaching.  
  
"I've been looking for you," said a small African-American boy. He was small for his age and very shy. He never looked anyone in the face, finding his shoes more interesting. This was the most he had spoken on the entire boat ride to the island.  
  
"They are departing. We should get off now," he said, running his old sneaker along the edge of the carpet in the hallway.  
  
"I know," said the girl. She didn't move her head to look him in the eyes. "With so much ruckus it would be hard not to know."  
  
"Oh, I was just wondering," said the boy sheepishly.  
  
"Let's just go," she said. She brushed past the boy, always keeping one hand on the wall. They walked to the gangway and left the ship with the few passengers who still hadn't left. As they stepped off of the ship the girl put on a pair of dark sunglasses.  
  
"All contestants are expected to report at the gate of the castle," said a solemn, beefy man at the end of the boat. The boy was quickly intimidated and stepped into the shadow of the girl. She didn't flinch at the sight of him. She walked by without even acknowledging his presence.  
  
"This is where I need your help, Martin," said the girl to the young boy. She stuck out her hand. The boy took it without a word and began to lead her to the large castle in the middle of the island. It appeared to be the only building in the entire Duelist Kingdom.  
  
They walked to the castle with the whole group of duelists who had arrived with them. The boy expertly maneuvered them through the crowd. The girl stumbled a few times on the unfamiliar terrain. But despite the jolts and bumps they endured they didn't let go of each other. The girl kept her other hand on her back pack.  
  
"Watch where you're going," snorted a sarcastic boy after the group had stopped at the foot of the castle. The girl drew herself up to her full height and faced him. Her face was a mask of rage. She slapped him across the face and stormed away. The boy ran to her, grabbed her hand and she stopped.  
  
On the balcony of the castle stepped a man. He was the one credited with inventing Duel Monsters and the reason so many Duel Monsters duelists had been invited to this island, the Duelist Kingdom. He wore a light green dress jacket and had long white hair. His hair went just down below his shoulders and he never bothered to brush it out of his eyes, either. He looked impressive enough, but behind the wealthy display was a cold, cruel smile. He cleared his voice and began to speak.  
  
But the girl was busy thinking about how she had gotten invited to the Duelist Kingdom. She had been sitting at the Group Home's dining table, eating a tasteless meal. Mail call was made like always, but she wasn't listening. She never got mail before in her life. But a package had arrived for her, not a letter but a package. She was sure that it had to be a mistake. She opened the package carefully, laying the letter, which was in the form of several Duel Monsters cards to the side. She felt around the package and found a silly glove and two star chips.  
  
Later that day, when the other orphans wouldn't be around to snicker, she found Martin and got him to read the letter to her. She had been invited to compete in a major Duel Monsters tournament at the Duelist Kingdom for a large sum of money. Attending the tournament would be the head of Duel Monsters himself, Maximilian Pegasus. She was completely surprised that she had even been invited. She had been playing Duel Monsters for only two months. She didn't even think she was good enough to enter a professional tournament.  
  
She had only started playing Duel Monsters because the fad had hit the Group Home no harder than it had hit the rest of the world. Her old boyfriend had taught her to play. She quickly focused back on the opening speech. It hurt her too much to think of her old boyfriend, who was also Martin's older brother.  
  
She shifted her backpack from her left shoulder to her right shoulder impatiently. In it was all of her most valuable possessions; her deck of Duel Monsters cards, extra cards to trade or use to modify her deck, a label maker, a change of clothes, some snacks she saved from the meals on the boat, her walking stick which collapsed into a rod no more than a half foot long, a blanket, her Bible, and the first and last gift her boyfriend had given her. It was the only gift anyone had ever given her directly. She mentally slapped herself for getting emotional. In her life, to show emotions meant to become the brunt of the next joke.  
  
"Welcome to the Duelist Kingdom," said Pegasus as he greeted the competitors. He continued to state the elimination rules and "special" rules that the contestants would have to find out on their own. The contest was simple enough. Each person would compete against the others for the star chips they had been given. Each player would gamble so many of their star chips against their opponent and the winner would take all. If a person lost all of their star chips they would be deported from the island and eliminated from the contest. But if a person won a total of ten star chips they gained entrance to the castle and the final round.  
  
"Well, that's all. Let the duels begin," concluded Pegasus. People began to drift away and the girl already heard some being challenged to a duel.  
  
"Let's go Martin. Let's get away from this crowd. We can find some secluded spot and wait for the other duelists come to us," she said. She held out her hand and Martin took it without a word. He lead her away from the castle. They didn't stumble so much this time because the crowd had thinned drastically.  
  
They walked without knowing exactly where to go. After roaming around  
for a couple of minutes they decided to stop and watch some of the  
duels that were already in progress.  
The girl wanted to check out the competition before she had to duel.  
She was a little afraid that she would be the only amateur among a lot  
of professionals. That turned out not to be the case. She could tell  
a few people were probably as new to Duel Monsters as she was. She  
knew they would be the prey for the better duelists. She also knew  
that they would challenge her if they found out she was such a rookie.  
  
"Luckily, I've spent my whole life in the shadows. I can stay hidden  
until I'm ready to duel," she thought. She hung around one of the  
holo-fields where a well know duelist, Rex Raptor, was dueling a kid  
who appeared to be a real rookie. A holo-field was a new invention  
from the Kaiba Corporation. Seto Kaiba, the head of Kaiba Corp. was a  
mechanical genius. His company had designed the holo-fields which  
projected a life size holograph of each monster. It then made life  
like recreations of the magic, attacks, and traps used by each duelist  
as they duel. The holo-fields also had realistic results which  
couldn't be recreated otherwise. For example, a magic card might  
protect a monster from an attack, but the holo-field might reflect  
that attack on another monster. It was an awesome invention that made  
Duel Monsters almost seem real. But the full effect was lost on the  
girl.  
  
Seto Kaiba was also ranked the number one duelist in the world. He  
had only lost once, and even then it was a complete surprise. A kid  
from nowhere named Yu-Gi Motou beat him by summoning the most powerful  
card, Exodia. A feat which had never been done before.  
  
A sudden commotion snapped the girl out of her thoughts. The duel was  
coming to a close. Rex Raptor was about to win. The girl thought  
about the strategies used in the duel. She was already familiar with  
Raptor's strategy because she had heard about his tournament duel last  
week. It had been publicly broadcasted. Rex Raptor had just lost the  
tournament to Weevil Underwood. They had both played expertly and she  
had closely examined their strategies, and had found a few flaws. She  
knew how the rookie who was dueling Rex Raptor could get out of the  
losing situation. Too bad that duelist didn't. He lost the next turn  
to Raptor's Two Headed King Rex.  
  
"How tragic," she thought, "It won't be long before they run out of  
easy targets. They'll be coming for me next. I'd better disappear  
before they find me."  
  
"Martin, let's find a spot where we can duel, but without the crowd,"  
she said. She stuck out her hand again and Martin lead her silently  
away from that dueling ground.  
  
After following a short path in the wooded section of the island they  
came to a bridge by a quiet brook. It was very peaceful there. The  
brook babbled contently and the noise from the holo-fields was blocked  
by the forest.  
  
"This is perfect," she said, "I'll just wait here until the duelists  
come to me. We have awhile for them to spread out, so you can rest  
Martin." Martin nodded and curled up near the edge of the bridge and  
went to sleep. He never liked large crowds. Every time he was forced  
to be in one he would sleep for hours later, almost like he was trying  
to sleep off a bad dream.  
  
The girl sat on the end of the bridge, listening for approaching  
footsteps. She was beginning to formulate an idea on how and who to  
challenge to a duel. She didn't care much for the prize money. Her  
main reason for coming to this tournament had been to prove herself,  
then to get out of the Group Home for a week. Ever since she could  
remember everyone had treated her like she'd never amount to much.  
They had said she wouldn't even be able to play Duel Monsters, much  
less be good at it. But she was going to show them.  
  
The way she would choose her opponents was to wait until the most  
arrogant and obnoxious people came, those she would challenge. She  
wanted to cut down their egos. She couldn't stand others who acted  
like they were better than everyone else. Everyone acted like they  
were better than her, so she would just prove them wrong.  
She didn't care about the prize money, just eliminating as many  
"brats" as possible. The girl had a strong sense of justice. Deep  
down she single-handedly wanted to stop every injustice in the world.  
But for now she would settle with making sure only the nicest people  
would have a chance to win the tournament; those that had good causes.  
She knew some really needed the money for one reason or another. She  
had decided that when only the most deserving people were left she  
would withdraw from the tournament. That would give the kids at the  
Group Home something to talk about.  
  
But first she had to start dueling. Time was passing and no one  
seemed to be coming in her direction. She really didn't want to leave  
her place by the brook. She sighed and listened to Martin's quiet  
snoring. She decided to wait a little longer here.  
Then she heard footsteps approaching. The girl bent her head down and  
pulled out he  
collapsible stick. Then she froze.  
  
A teenage boy approached. He had light green hair that stuck up in  
the back. He wore a black starter jacket and torn jeans. He had a  
large hoop earring in his left ear. He looked back and forth between  
the two unmoving figures. He didn't know what to think. Then he  
shrugged his shoulders and walked toward the bridge. He had just  
reached it when the girl stuck out her walking stick to its full  
length and put it in front of him to stop him from crossing the  
bridge.  
  
"If you want to cross you have to answer three questions," she said.  
  
"What?" he asked gruffly.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked.  
  
"My name is Shawn," he replied.  
  
"Why are you here dueling?" the girl asked.  
  
"Duh. For the prize money," he responded.  
  
"Then will you duel me?" she asked her final question. She wasn't at  
all impressed by his  
attitude.  
  
"Fine," he said. He pulled out his pack of Duel Monsters cards and  
the girl reached in her backpack and felt around for hers.  
  
"So what's your name?" he asked while she was fishing around for her  
cards.  
  
"Call me Justice," she replied. She changed her name on a weekly  
basis.  
  
"Fine, Justice," he said, "Ready to lose?"  
  
"Don't get cocky," she said, pulling her cards out of her backpack.  
"Martin wake up. We have a duel." He woke up and walked to her side,  
rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"Let's trade our decks to shuffle," said Shawn. That was standard  
procedure for a Duel Monsters battle, shuffling each others decks.  
They exchanged decks. Martin's eyes never left his friend's deck or  
Shawn's hands. She took his cards and began shuffling.  
  
"What's this?!" exclaimed Shawn, looking at her deck. The words on  
her cards had been printed over with the label maker. All the  
writings on her cards were three dimensional.  
  
"It's so I can read them," replied Justice simply.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked but trailed of when she took off her  
sunglasses to face him.  
  
"You're blind!" he exclaimed, "You can't play Duel Monsters!" He  
stood there for a moment with his mouth open. The girl felt her  
temper raise. She hated the way people treated her because she was  
blind. 


	2. The First Duel

"You're blind!" he exclaimed, "You can't play Duel Monsters!" He  
stood there for a moment with his mouth open. The girl felt her  
temper raise. She hated the way people treated her because she was  
blind.  
  
"So then you'd be willing to risk two star chips?" she asked Shawn,  
defiantly.  
  
"What! No!" he exclaimed "I'm not that stupid!"  
  
"What? I thought you said I can't play. Why are you afraid to put  
your money where you mouth is?" Justice asked, taunting him.  
  
"I'm not stupid, one star chip and that's final," declared Shawn.  
  
"You already mentioned your not stupid. Fine one star chip," said  
Justice, Not that I believe that your not a complete idiot." She  
thought to herself.  
They handed their decks back and approached the nearest holo-field.  
It was twenty feet away. The holo-field flipped out of the ground.  
The whole island was covered with holo-fields. The duelers were  
raised twenty feet above the field to have a bird's eye view. In  
front of each player was the place where the players put their cards.  
There was a place for the deck and graveyard (discard pile). Next to  
that was two horizontal rows with space for five cards each. The  
upper row was for monster cards and the lower row was for magic and  
trap cards. Each place had a scanner that read the cards and played  
that action on the holo-field down below.  
  
Martin stood at the foot of the platform that Justice was on. His job  
was to tell her what she couldn't see and warn her if anyone was  
trying to cheat. The first mentioned was never much of a problem.  
One of the rules of Duel Monsters was to loudly declare your moves.  
Another reason was that most Duelers couldn't resist bragging.  
Justice won a few duels because the other person had bragged so much  
that she found out their strategies. Justice found it easier to win  
if she kept her mouth closed and let the other person run their mouth.  
  
The holo-field activated. The computer gave each player 2000 life  
points and the duel began. There was several ways to win in Duel  
Monsters. The first was to decrease your opponent's life points to 0.  
That was done by overpowering their monsters. Any difference in  
attack points of the monsters was subtracted from the weaker monster's  
duelist's life points. But if a monster was defending no change  
occurred in the player's life points. Another way to win was by  
summoning Exodia, which was near impossible. The last way to win was  
to have your opponent run out of cards before you did. If they  
couldn't draw at the beginning of their turn then they lost. (If this  
is your first Duel Monsters duel just follow along and any questions  
you have maybe answered, If not e-mail me).  
  
Shawn and Justice each put down their star chip in the tray provided.  
Justice set her backpack down by her feet. She then shoved the Duel  
Monsters glove she had been given back into her pocket. She hated it.  
The glove stopped her from fully using her hands. This greatly  
hindered her. Then they both drew five cards, the size of a hand in  
Duel Monsters. Justice ran her fingers on the raised print of her  
cards.  
  
"Hhhm, Nekogal #2, She's good," thought Justice as she examined her  
cards.  
  
"I play this card face down," said Justice as she placed her Nekogal  
face down, "And I'm going to play it in defense mode." She turned the  
card horizontal. "I am also going to play this magic card face down."  
She put an Electro-whip face down in the lower row.  
"And that ends my turn since I can't attack you now."  
  
"Fine," said Shawn, "Defending on the first turn, you must be really  
afraid of what I'm going to do. First I'm going to play Minomushi  
Warrior in attack mode. Then I'm going to destroy your pathetic  
attempt for defense. Minomushi Warrior attack!" The Minomushi  
Warrior appeared on the holo-field. He was a humanoid monster wearing  
animal skins. In his hands was a club.  
  
Justice smiled to herself as the holo-field showed the Minomushi  
Warrior racing to the glowing square which represented her Nekogal #2.  
The Minomushi Warrior's attack was 1300 and it's defense was 1200.  
Her Nekogal #2 had a defense of 2000 and an attack of 1900. The  
monsters clashed. Shawn cringed at the bright light produced, but  
Justice didn't even flinch.  
  
"What!" cried Shawn. The attack had flipped over her Nekogal #2 and  
revealed that it was stronger that his Minomushi Warrior. The Nekogal  
#2 was a humanoid monster also, although it was a foot taller than  
most humans. She was wearing a purple top and a purple skirt. She  
had a tail with a wicked blade that twitched back and forth. She also  
had cat ears and whiskers. The Nekogal was held aloft by a pair of  
gossamer wings.  
  
"Justice, the Nekogal...Her defense is 2250!" said Martin.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Justice, "I didn't power her up any!"  
  
"So that's why there's all those trees and bushes an the field," said  
Shawn.  
  
"Oh, I get it. We are dueling in a forest and since Nekogal is a  
forest creature her strength is increased. But I thought all field  
increases were done in groups of 500," said Justice.  
  
"I think that is because half of the field is a meadow. All of the  
holo-fields must be this way. I bet that was one of the special rules  
that Pegasus was talking about," replied Shawn.  
  
"It must be. There's probably a wasteland field, mountain, water, and  
who knows what combination. This will definitely make things  
interesting," said Justice. She had several cards in her deck that  
changed the type of field the duelists were playing on. She was  
already making plans on how this new rule could benefit her.  
  
"My turn is over, go," said Shawn knowing he was in trouble. Justice  
drew a card.  
  
"Speak of the devil, the Wasteland card. This card will change the  
field into a desert," thought Justice.  
  
"I play Arlownay in attack mode. Her defense and attack are raised by  
the field," declared Justice. The Arlownay monster appeared next to  
her Nekogal #2. The Arlownay was like a human woman from the waist  
up. She had green skin and a red shirt. Her dark green hair blew in  
the wind. Below the waist she was one long, thorny vine, almost like  
a snake. The Arlownay had an attack of 800 and a defense of 1000, but  
due to the field her attack was now 1050 and her defense was 1250.  
  
"And I turn my Nekogal to attack mode," continued Justice, turning the  
card vertically,  
"And I attack your Minomushi Warrior with my Nekogal. Attack!" The  
monsters clashed and the Minomushi Warrior disappeared with a flash of  
light. The holo-field subtracted 750 points from Shawn's total life  
points.  
  
It was now Shawn's turn. He drew a card.  
  
"I play this card in defense mode," said Shawn, "I won't attack this  
turn so go."  
Justice drew her card. Then she played her Wasteland card face down  
in the magic section.  
  
"I attack your defending card with my Nekogal," she said. Nekogal  
attacked the square that represented Shawn's defending card. In a  
bright flash of light Shawn's Mountain Warrior was destroyed. But  
because it was in defense mode his life points did not change. It was  
Shawn's turn again so he drew another card.  
  
"Ah-ha! This card will be your undoing!" he exclaimed, "I play Twin-  
Headed Thunder Dragon in attack mode." The orange dragon appeared on  
the field. It towered over Justice's cards. The dragon had an  
attack of 2800 and a defense of 2100. Justice groaned inside. It  
would take magic cards to beat the dragon. None of her cards were  
that strong.  
"Twin-Headed Dragon attack her Arlownay," cried Shawn. The monsters  
fought and Justice's Arlownay disappeared in a flash of light. She  
lost all but 250 life points in that clash.  
  
"I can't afford another lost like that," she thought. She drew her  
next card.  
  
"I play this monster card in defense mode," she said as she placed a  
Queen's Double face  
down. It was her weakest card with 350 attack and 300 defense. "I  
also move my Nekogal to defense mode." She said to finish her turn.  
  
Shawn began his next turn by playing Megarius Light in attack mode.  
It had an attack of 900 and a defense of 600. The Megarius Light was  
a strange monster who's hands weren't connected to its body. It had a  
horned purple face that looked like a Halloween mask.  
  
"I attack your Nekogal with my Thunder Dragon," said Shawn and the  
Nekogal disappeared in the fight.  
  
"Next I'll attack your defending card with my Megarius Light," said  
Shawn. The Queen's Double fell to his monster. "You're in trouble  
now."  
  
"I know that. This is bad," thought Justice as she drew her next  
card. It was the Beautiful Head Huntress. "She'll be powered up by  
the meadow. But she still can't stand up to the Twin-Headed Thunder  
Dragon. I'll have to play a trap."  
  
"I play the Beautiful Head Huntress in attack mode. The meadow powers  
up her attack to 1850. I'll also play this magic card face down,"  
said Justice. The Head Huntress appeared on the field. She carried a  
butcher's knife that looked more like an elongated ax over her  
shoulder. She wore a blue kimono that was tied with a red sash. She  
had dark olive green hair which was tied in the back.  
  
"I'm attacking your Megarius Light with my Head Huntress," she  
declared and Shawn watched helplessly has his Megarius Light was  
destroyed. 950 points was subtracted from his total. It was now  
Shawn with 300 life points and Justice with 250. But he also had the  
stronger cards.  
  
"That wasn't very smart of you. I'll play this magic card face down  
and annihilate your Head Huntress with my Thunder Dragon. I just won  
this. Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon attack!" shouted Shawn. The dragon  
moved to attack her warrior.  
  
"Not quite. I played a trap card. And now I activate my Fake Trap,"  
said Justice. The Fake Trap just prevented the monster for attacking  
her that turn. It was a stall tactic.  
  
"So what, you're dead next turn. You can't delay the inevitable," he  
said but there was no missing the frustration in his voice.  
  
"I am in trouble. I have one chance and that is the next card I draw.  
Please don't let me lose," she prayed, "All I want to do is prove I  
can succeed where no one thought I could. Please don't let me lose."  
She felt her next card. It was Mystical Sand, her favorite and most  
powerful card. It had an attack of 2100 and a defense of 1700.  
"Wait! This might work."  
  
"I play Mystical Sand in attack mode," said Justice as she placed the  
card down. A witch appeared on the field. She had a scarlet pointed  
hat and scarlet robe on. She had green hair that was very unkept.  
The weirdest thing was that she hovered off of the ground by riding a  
broom.  
  
"That's the best you got!" exclaimed Shawn.  
  
"I'm not done. I equip her with the Electro-Whip, which raises her  
attack by 500," said Justice. She had almost forgotten she had that  
card. The holo-field showed a whip appear in the hands of the  
Mystical Sand. Her attack was now 2600, but that wasn't enough to  
beat the dragon.  
  
"Come on, lose already," said Shawn impatiently.  
  
"One more thing," said Justice, "I play the Wasteland card, which  
changes this whole field into a desert." She flipped over her last  
magic card and the holo-field responded by eliminating the trees and  
bushes and replacing it with sun cracked dirt.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Shawn.  
  
"The Mystical Sand is a rock type so she gains 500 points from the  
wasteland," said Justice. A look of terror crossed Shawn's eyes. The  
Mystical Sand now had an attack of 3100.  
  
"Mystical Sand attack Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon," said Justice in a  
loud voice. The monsters clashed and the dragon disappeared in a  
flash of light. Shawn's life points were reduced to 0. Justice had  
won.  
  
They left their places on the field. Shawn shoved the star chip into  
her hand before walking off in a huff. But she didn't care. She had  
actually won a duel in a professional tournament. 


	3. Motivation

"Martin. look," said Justice as she showed her duelist glove to him,  
"Three star chips. This is the first step in my plan." Martin smiled  
but said nothing.  
  
"I think we should wait around here a little longer. Most of my cards  
are forest creatures or warriors. This field is perfect for them,"  
said Justice, But while we wait let's have lunch." Martin's smile  
widened at this suggestion. He was a typical male, always hungry.  
They retrieved the food that they had saved from the boat ride,  
Justice prayed, and then they ate. They finished their meager meal in  
silence, no duelist appeared to challenge her.  
Justice wondered how long she would be at the Duelist Kingdom. She  
was actually having fun. It was like a huge burden had been lifted  
from her shoulders by leaving the Group Home. Justice had really  
enjoyed the last duel. The other orphans who she had dueled were such  
terrible sports. But here people excepted their loses with a grain of  
salt and got over it. She had never spent so much time outside before  
and was actually enjoying the experience. Justice leaned back and  
sighed. She was not looking forward to leaving the island.  
  
"The way I can stay here the longest is not to get eliminated. I just  
take my time dueling, enjoy myself, and not lose," thought Justice as  
her and Martin packed up their picnic.  
Justice hadn't realized how out of the way her location had been until  
no one approached her for the next hour. She paced anxiously for a  
while, but mostly sat and listened as Martin went back to sleep. She  
had only seen Martin do a few things; eat, sleep, and act like a  
shadow. But at least he was loyal. He was the only person now that  
Justice even remotely trusted, and that was by default. They both had  
suffered a mutual loss. They were also kept together by necessity;  
Justice needed certain help and Martin needed protection. Justice  
would have preferred to isolate herself from everyone, but that was  
impossible in her condition.  
  
The tiny flame that had always burned in Justice began to grow. She  
was very bitter at the way she had been treated; first by her  
biological family, then by the kids at the Group Home, and even by a  
few adults. The worst recent blow and been losing Luther, Martin's  
older brother. Justice hated herself for feeling this way; first at  
the perpetual anger she had and then at the hole in her heart where  
Luther used to be.  
  
Justice did the only thing she knew to do when she felt this way. She  
pulled out her Bible and began to read it. The whole book was written  
in Braille. She skimmed her favorite verses, but got frustrated. How  
could so many things keep happening to one person? Shouldn't the God  
of mercy have pity on her by now? She didn't have an answer to these  
questions and wondered if she ever would. She had been saved when a  
youth group had came to her Group Home as part of some ministry or  
another. Martin, Luther, and herself were the only ones saved that  
day. It was another reason for the other orphans to shun her. When  
she was first saved she felt so on fire, but now all she felt was  
abandoned.  
She began to think that Martin had the right idea by sleeping. She  
was about to take a nap herself. Then she heard giggling. a group of  
two people were approaching. Justice listened to their footsteps and  
guessed them to be young girls. Justice quickly took the position she  
had been in when Shawn found her. She liked the dramatics of it.  
The two girls continued to approach, giggling away.  
  
"I still can't believe you lost," said one. She was a petite girl  
with stringy black hair.  
  
"Hey that girl was cheating. There was no way she could have know  
what her cards were without looking at them," replied her friend, a  
stocky girl with flaming orange hair. "I didn't believe for a second  
she was psychic."  
  
"You didn't look that way when you were dueling. You were  
hyperventilating," responded her friend.  
  
"Well...maybe, But the next person I duel is going down," said the  
second girl. There was more giggling. Justice sighed. These kind of  
people were her least favorite.  
  
The two girls had now entered the silent clearing. They both stopped  
talking and starred at the slouched figure on the bridge.  
  
"What's she doing?" asked the black haired girl.  
  
"I don't know. Do you think something is wrong with her?" asked the  
red head. Justice felt her temper rising.  
  
"Let's go talk to her," suggested one of them. Justice heard them  
approaching.  
  
"Umm...What are you doing?" asked one.  
  
"If you want to cross the bridge you have to answer three questions,"  
said Justice,  
ignoring the question.  
  
"Like OK. We'll play your game," said the black haired girl. Justice  
was repulsed by her actions.  
  
"First, what is your name?" asked Justice.  
  
"I'm Jean," said the black haired girl.  
  
"And I'm Karen," replied the red head with a note of steel in her  
voice.  
  
"The second question is; Why do you duel?" asked Justice.  
  
"I don't know," replied Jean a little absentmindedly. But Justice got  
the feeling that her mind was always absent.  
  
"Because it's the thing to do," said Karen who glared at her friend,  
"Everyone else is doing it." Justice did not like this girl. She was  
as bad as everyone else she knew.  
  
"Will you duel me?" asked Justice who was now completely convinced  
that these two were to stupid to be any real threat. Justice wanted  
them gone.  
  
"Sure, your mine," said Karen stepping forward.  
  
They traded decks. Martin was woken up to play Justice's eyes.  
  
"What the heck is this!" exclaimed Karen when she saw Justice's deck.  
Justice started to realize that she'd be explaining a lot during this  
tournament.  
  
"It's so I can read them," Justice said as she took off her  
sunglasses.  
  
"Oh my Gosh! You're blind!" exclaimed Karen. Both girls cringed back  
as if they would  
suddenly go blind themselves. Martin frowned and Justice gave a  
frustrated sigh.  
  
"Let's duel," said Justice as she snatched her deck back. They  
approached the holo-field where Justice had dueled before. Each  
duelist took their spot.  
  
"So how many star chips do you want to lose?" asked Justice.  
  
"I'm not going to lose," said Karen, "But I only have one star chip,  
but soon it will be two."  
  
"Fine, one star chip," agreed Justice. She slipped a star chip off of  
the glove and let it clink in the tray. "Well, even if I lose I'm  
still in the tournament."  
  
They drew their first five cards. Karen began the duel.  
  
"I play Fusionist in attack mode," announced Karen as she played her  
card. The Fusionist appeared on the field. It was a small purple cat  
with dove's wings. Its tail was like pink ribbons. It had an attack  
of 900 and a defense of 700.  
  
"What!? It's attack is stronger!" exclaimed Karen as her monster  
appeared on the field.  
The Fusionist was a forest monster. Its attack was now 1250 and its  
defense was 950.  
  
"Oh you didn't figure that out yet," said Justice. Justice shook her  
head. This was going to be too easy.  
  
"Don't let her freak you out," said Jean as she encouraged her friend.  
Karen nodded.  
  
"Yeah, at least she doesn't claim to be some psychic. And I still say  
that girl was cheating," replied Karen. Justice started her turn.  
  
"I play Goddess with the Third Eye," said Justice as she chose her  
card. Karen shot her a vicious look, but it was lost on the blind  
girl. The Goddess appeared on the holo-field. The goddess wore a  
green cloak with an orangish-brown collar. She had on a paler green  
sundress on under her cloak. The goddess also wore an orangish-brown  
hat. On her forehead was a third eye. She also gained a field power  
bonus from the meadow. Her attack went from 1200 to 1450, and her  
defense changed from 1000 to 1250.  
  
"Goddess attack Fusionist," said Justice. The goddess hit the cat  
with a powerful mental blast and Karen lost 250 life points. Justice  
wished for a moment that she could have a third eye like the goddess,  
an eye that worked. But Justice was never the type to worry about  
things she couldn't change. Numerous doctors had said she was  
incurable, so she had learned to deal with it.  
  
"I play this card face down in defense mode," said Karen. Justice  
drew her next card.  
"I play Hibikime in attack mode," said Justice. The Hibikime appeared  
on the field next to the goddess. The Hibikime was another feminine  
monster. She carried a large scythe. Her hair was a beautiful aqua  
blue and she had on an aquamarine straight dress. Her attack was 1450  
and defense was 1000, but because she was a warrior that changed to  
1700 and 1250.  
  
"Hibikime attack her defending card," ordered Justice. The Hibikime  
raised her scythe and struck at the glowing square that represented  
Karen's defending card. The was a flash of light, but when it had  
faded Karen's Sleeping Lion was revealed.  
  
"What happened!?" asked Justice.  
  
"You aren't strong enough to destroy my Sleeping Lion," said Karen  
with a note of arrogance in her voice. The Sleeping Lion was half  
lion, half canine looking monster with a red robe. He sat like a  
sphinx. Its attack was normally 700 and defense 1700, but  
because of the forest it was now 950 and 1950.  
  
"Oh, I get it. The forest part of the field raises the stats of my  
monster," said Karen. Justice shook her head. How could some people  
be so dense?  
  
"I play the Dark With in attack mode," said Karen. Justice scowled,  
the Dark Witch was one card she really liked. The Dark Witch appeared  
next to the Sleeping Lion. She had on a short light green dress and  
had dark violet hair. In her hands was a long spear. She had long  
pointed ears and flew by two wings the color of her hair. Her attack  
and defense were now 2050 and 1950 thanks to the field.  
  
"Dark Witch attack the Hibikime," ordered Karen. Justice's Hibikime  
disappeared and she lost 350 life points. Justice drew her next card.  
It was the Fake Trap. Justice thought for a minute.  
  
"I play this card face down in defense mode," said Justice as she  
played her Lunar Queen Elzaim. "I also play this magic card," said  
Justice as she set down her Fake Trap. "Then I move my Goddess with  
the Third Eye to defense mode. Your turn." Justice listened as Karen  
shuffled her cards.  
  
"See it's not so hard when your not being cheated," said Karen to her  
friend.  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Justice.  
  
"Winning," said Karen arrogantly. Justice felt her temper rising.  
But her curiosity got the better of her.  
  
"Who's cheating?" she asked.  
  
"This girl named Mia. She's such a spoiled brat. She played half the  
duel without even  
looking at her cards and won," said Karen, "And she was such a poor  
winner."  
  
"I know.. she like totally rubbed it in your face and then acted like  
she was king of the world," said Jean, "I mean she was like a total  
dumb blonde."  
  
"And you aren't," thought Justice, "Why don't you make your move."  
  
"Fine, I play Milus Radiant in attack mode," said Karen. Her monster  
was a small light brown terrier with a navy blue dog sweater on.  
Justice again wondered what the girl was thinking.  
  
"Martin, What are its stats?" asked Justice. She had spent a lot of  
time memorizing the cards, but occasionally she needed Martin's help.  
  
"550 and 500 because of the field," whispered Martin.  
  
"I attack with my Dark Witch," announced Karen, "Destroy her face down  
card!" The  
Dark Witch moved to attack but was stopped by the Fake Trap.  
  
"Better luck next time," taunted Justice. Karen sneered. Justice  
drew her card.  
  
"I play this card face down," she said as she placed her Wasteland  
card down. "Now where is my Mystical Sand?" The life point totals  
were Justice with 1650 and Karen with 1750.  
  
"For my turn I play the Leo Wizard," said Karen. A monster that  
strongly resembled the Sleeping Lion appeared. The only difference  
was that it had on a blue robe instead of a red one. It's attack and  
defense stayed at 1350 and 1200 because it was a spell caster type.  
"I attack your defending card with my Leo Wizard," said Karen. He  
attacked her Lunar Queen Elzaim. The card was flipped over revealing  
a beautiful fairy with angelic wings. She had on a sunflower yellow  
dress and had light brown hair. She wore several silver bracelets.  
Her attack was 1000 and defense 1350 because of the field. She had  
just barely missed being destroyed by the Leo Wizard.  
  
"Fine, Dark Witch destroy her Lunar Queen," commanded Karen, a monster  
could only attack once per turn. The Lunar Queen was destroyed.  
  
Justice drew a card and began to wonder where all of her good card  
were. She drew the Spell Binding Circle, a magic card.  
  
"I use the Spell Binding Circle to subtract 500 points from all your  
monster's stats," said Justice. I also play another magic card face  
down. Next I attack your Milus Radiant with my Goddess." She turned  
her Goddess with the Third Eye to attack mode. Karen lost 1400 life  
points from that. It was now Justice with 1650 and Karen with 350.  
  
"I will play this card face down in defense mode," said Karen. Her  
forces had been greatly reduced. Her Sleeping Lion was at 450 and  
1450, the Leo Wizard was at 850 and 700, her Dark Witch was at 1450  
and 1300. Justice only had her Goddess with the Third Eye left, whose  
stats were 1450 and 1250. She also had her Wasteland card and  
another magic card waiting for Karen.  
  
"I play another Dark Witch and use her to attack your goddess," said  
Karen. Another Dark Witch appeared and Justice listened as she went  
to attack her goddess. But this Dark Witch had full stats at 2050 and  
1950.  
  
"You must really like falling into traps," said Justice as she flipped  
over her other card. "I played the Acid Trap Hole. It destroys any  
attacking monster with an attack less than 3000." The Dark Witch was  
destroyed and Karen groaned.  
  
"I now play my Gemini Elf card," said Justice. The Gemini Elves  
appeared on the field. The card was unique because it was actually  
two monsters. One blonde elf and one red haired one. The two strong  
and inseparable. Their attack was 1900 and their defense was 900.  
  
"I attack your Dark Witch with my Gemini Elf," said Justice. The two  
elves double teamed the weakened Dark Witch and she fell in the fight.  
Karen lost 450 life points and the duel in that clash.  
  
Martin applauded and Jean stood with her mouth open. The two duelists  
exited the holo-field. Justice picked up her star chip. Jean ran off  
and Justice was sure she was crying. Karen ran after. Justice smiled  
as they left. She had actually managed to eliminate someone. She  
only needed six more star chips to enter the castle. It had been too  
easy. Justice was beginning to get more confident that she would do  
really well in this tournament. 


	4. YuGi Motou

"Martin, this is great! Four star chips! Only six more to go. And if it is as easy as the last duel was we'll be there soon," exclaimed Justice. Martin's smile widened.  
  
"What time is it?" she asked Martin.  
  
"Late afternoon," he replied quietly.  
  
"If this keeps up we can get one more duel in before the day is over," said Justice, "I think we should continue to wait here. I like the seclusion." Martin nodded in approval, then remember she couldn't see his answer. So he quietly said yes.  
  
The two hung around near the brook for almost two hours without another person approaching. Justice was getting bored. She took off her shoes and dangled her feet in the brook. She heard Martin do the same. Justice got a little frustrated with him. She wished that she was actually able to carry on a conversation with him, but he was to shy. She shrugged and they both kept quiet with their own thoughts.  
  
Justice could feel the ocean breeze cooling down and she knew it would be night soon. She was about to get Martin and start setting up camp. They didn't have a tent or anything so setting up camp would be easy. Each had their own blanket, so all they had to do was lay them on the ground.  
  
"We could always start dinner," thought Justice. She suddenly realized that no provisions had been made for the duelists. They were on their own for food. She wished she had saved more snacks from the boat.  
  
"Well, at least if it rains we can camp under the bridge," thought Justice as she explored there. There was a full five feet of land under the bridge before the brook.  
  
Justice froze. She heard footsteps approaching. It sounded like a large group of people. She wasn't sure how many. They seemed to be caught up in some conversation. Justice was able to pick out several male voices.  
  
"Martin, come on," whispered Justice, "It's show time." Justice scrambled for her walking stick and barely froze in position when the group entered the clearing.  
  
"Hey, there's someone," said a male voice.  
  
"Do you think she's a duelist?" asked another guy.  
  
"I don't see a duelist glove, Joe," said the first voice.  
  
"Why don't you just ask her?" suggested a female voice.  
  
"Well, sure, I was about to," said Joe. Justice heard them approach. She guessed there to be four people.  
  
"Who are you? Are you a duelist?" asked Joe.  
  
"If you want to cross the bridge you have to answer three questions," said Justice. She had stuck out her walking stick and barely missed hitting Joe in the face.  
  
"I don't know about this, Tristan," said Joe, referring to someone who had not yet spoken.  
  
"I'll answer your questions," said the first male voice.  
  
"First, what is your name?" asked Justice.  
  
"Yu-Gi Motou," replied the speaker. He was on the short side and had violet eyes. His hair was spiked with red tips and blond bangs, the rest was black. He had on a navy blue jacket, navy blue pants, and a navy blue shirt. Around his neck was a strange necklace. It looked like an upside- down pyramid with an Egyptian eye in the middle.  
  
"The Yu-Gi Motou!? The one who defeated Seto Kaiba!?" Justice exclaimed.  
  
"Yes," replied Yu-Gi. Justice got the feeling he was a little uncomfortable with his new fame.  
  
"Oh, and these are my friends; Joe, Tristan, and Tea," said Yu-Gi as he indicated each one.  
  
"What's your name?" asked Tea. She had medium length brown hair and deep blue eyes. She wore a yellow and pink blouse and a pink skirt.  
  
"Justice," she replied.  
  
"Is that your real name?" asked Joe, "Or is it a nickname?" He had messy blond hair and lazy blue eyes. He wore a green jacket, white T-shirt, and blue jeans.  
  
"It's both, for now say it is my real name," replied Justice. She hated the situation about her name.  
  
"Did you say you have more questions?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"Yes," answered Justice. She hesitated a second. She was wondering what would happen if she ended up challenging Yu-Gi to a duel. She didn't know that Yu-Gi was giving her strange looks, like he was trying to figure something out.  
  
"Why do you duel?" Justice asked her next question.  
  
"For my grandpa," said Yu-Gi. Justice could hear the emotions in Yu-Gi's voice. "I need to beat Pegasus, for him."  
  
"There is no need for a third question," responded Justice, "You may pass." She withdrew her walking stick. She hadn't moved her head the whole time. Now Tea and Joe were giving her weird looks.  
  
"So what do you do, sit around all day and act like a toll booth?" commented Joe.  
  
"Yes, pretty much," she replied.  
  
"Are you a duelist?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she answered.  
  
"Then where is your dueling glove?" Joe asked. She pulled it out of her pocket without a word.  
  
"Wow, she has four star chips already!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Better than your two," said Tristan taunting Joe. He had brown hair worn in military style. He wore a brown trench coat and khaki pants.  
  
"Hey," said Joe indignant.  
  
"Well, you only just started. Yu-Gi only has three," comforted Tea. There was a brief pause where Yu-Gi and his friends tried to figure out the strange person in front of them.  
  
"You're a duelist also?" Justice asked Joe, to fill the silence.  
  
"Yeah," he answered.  
  
"Why do you duel?" she asked him.  
  
"For my sister, I need the money so she can get treated. If I don't she'll go blind," he answered.  
  
"So, she is curable?" asked Justice. She began to feel a longing for something she would never have. Even if Joe didn't win, at least his sister had gotten to see the world.  
  
"Yes, but the procedure is very expensive. I need the prize money, for her," Joe replied.  
  
"And are your friends also duelists?" she asked.  
  
"I do duel from time to time, but I'm not part of this tournament," replied Tea.  
  
"Same here," responded Tristan.  
  
"Then good luck to you, you may pass," Justice repeated. She was shocked to have met such a famous duelist as Yu-Gi Motou, but she wanted them to leave. The fact that Joe's sister was going blind was too intense for her. Justice also wanted them gone before they got the idea to challenge her to a duel.  
  
Yu-Gi was still giving her weird looks, trying to put two and two together.  
  
"You're blind aren't you," he asked, the sudden epiphany appearing on his face. Justice took off her sunglasses with an amazed look on her face.  
  
"How did you know?" she asked. Yu-Gi's three friends jerked in surprise.  
  
"I'm not sure," he replied. He seemed genuinely puzzled.  
  
"Are you trying to get the 3 million to treat your eyes?" asked Tristan.  
  
"I'm incurable," said Justice in a monotone voice. Sensing his error Tristan tried to change the topic.  
  
"How do you duel?" he asked. Justice took out her deck and handed it to them. By this time Martin had wandered over to the group. He looked around shyly.  
  
"These are all printed over," said Tea as they looked at her cards.  
  
"That's really resourceful," commented Tristan. Justice silently took her deck back.  
  
"Then why do you duel?" asked Joe slightly puzzled.  
  
"I'm only here to get away for a week. I could care less if I win or not. I just want a vacation," replied Justice.  
  
"What's your name?" Tea asked Martin. They had just noticed he was there. Martin did a very good impression of a shadow.  
  
"This is Martin and he doesn't talk much," Justice answered for him, "He plays my eyes." Martin looked at his feet.  
  
"You really put a lot of thought into this tournament," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"You might say that," replied Justice.  
  
"Well, good luck to you," said Yu-Gi and he began to walk across the bridge. His friends followed. Justice breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason Yu-Gi gave her a strange feeling. There was something about him that she wanted to avoid. Though he wasn't a dominating person, Justice felt some kind of power flowing from him. And it scared her.  
  
It was getting late. The sun was casting multi-colored streaks across the sky. The tide was coming in. The ocean was beginning to blow its cool night breezes across the island. Most of the duelists were setting up camp, although a few duels were still going on.  
  
"Martin, I think we'd better set up camp," suggested Justice.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Let's take our blankets to the space under the bridge. If it rains we will stay dry and no one will see us," she said.  
  
"OK," Martin whispered. They moved under the bridge and laid out their stuff. Justice slipped off her shoes and went to sleep. Martin was very high strung from so much activity and spent the next half-hour staring at the brook before he could go to sleep. 


	5. The Penguin Guy

The morning came. The sun once more painted the sky. Several people got ready for early morning duels. Justice and Martin slept late. It was mid morning before Justice stirred. She woke up to find Martin already awake.  
  
"You beat me," she said. Never before had Martin waken up before anyone else. "I guess I must have really over slept. What time is it?" she asked.  
  
"A little after ten," he replied.  
  
"Well, let's eat breakfast and wait for more duelists," she suggested. Martin smiled and they dug out some of their remaining snacks.  
  
"If I estimate right we have enough for another day," she said. Martin frowned, but said nothing.  
  
"Let the duels begin," said Justice as they finished. They began to wait for the duelists to find them.  
  
They waited and waited. No one appeared. Martin went to sleep. Justice spent her time dangling her feet into the creek and planning strategies for the rest of the tournament. The sun climbed higher in the sky and Justice began to grow impatient.  
  
"What is going on!" she cried out at last. But no one heard her. Martin was still asleep.  
  
"I wonder how secluded we are?" she asked the wind. "It must be a lot if no one has wondered down here all day." Pause. "Wait! I bet people have already been eliminated and shipped off of the island. That means there's less people to wander this way. I guess that means we'll have to leave soon." Justice sighed. She was really fond of the place by the creek.  
  
"I'll just wait until Martin wakes up. Then we'll move on," she thought drearily. She had guessed almost three hours to have passed since she woke up.  
  
Martin woke up forty-five minutes later and Justice still hadn't heard a single footstep.  
  
"Hey, Martin, do you think we are abandoned on a deserted island?" she tried to joke. Martin faintly smiled at the weak attempt for humor.  
  
"Martin, I think we'd better move on. We need to get six more star chips and at this rate everyone will be deported before we get them," she announced her plan. Martin frowned, but he knew she was right.  
  
"Well, get your things," she said. Martin scrambled for his backpack, which was under the bridge. Justice had hers in her hand. It never left her side.  
  
Justice was on the bridge when she heard footsteps approaching.  
  
"Martin, someone is actually coming," she said. Martin was under the bridge and froze there. Justice slid into her place at the bottom of the bridge, walking stick in hand.  
  
A boy entered to clearing with disheveled blond hair. He had a haunted look in his eyes. He wore a blue T-shirt and jeans shorts. He looked at the figure on the bridge with strange apprehension. Then he approached her.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked from a safe distance.  
  
"Defiance," she replied. While she liked Justice as a name it didn't quite seem to fit her. She had decided it was time for a change.  
  
"If you want to cross the bridge you have to answer three questions," she stated.  
  
"Across the water?" he asked.  
  
"What is your name?" Defiance began her procedure.  
  
"Tommy," he replied, "At least, that is as much as I can tell you."  
  
"OK," she thought, "Why do you duel?"  
  
"The penguins," he replied, "The penguins told me to. But I'll show them."  
  
"This guy is a nut case. I am so eliminating him," thought Defiance, "Will you duel me?"  
  
"Are you with the penguins or against them?" Tommy asked.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about," she replied.  
  
"You're with them!" he accused, "You traitor! I'm going to teach you a lesson. Two star chips."  
  
"Fine, two star chips," said Defiance a little surprised at the sudden outburst. They exchanged decks to shuffle.  
  
"What happened to your cards?" he asked.  
  
"I'm blind. I did that so I can see them," she said, getting very annoyed at constantly explaining her situation.  
  
"So the penguins don't deal nicely with traitors either," he said.  
  
"Whatever," she said. Defiance began to wonder what she had gotten herself into.  
  
They entered the holo-field. Martin took his accustomed place at the bottom of Defiance's platform. They placed their star chips in the tray. Tommy started the duel as soon as they had drawn their hands.  
  
"I play this card in attack mode," said Tommy as he placed his card in one of the monster squares.  
  
His monster appeared on the field. It was the Penguin Soldier. It had an attack of 750 and a defense of 500. The Penguin Soldier was what its name said; a penguin soldier. It had on shoulder pads for armor and carried a small sword.  
  
"NO! It's the penguins!" screamed Tommy.  
  
"What is the matter with you?" asked Defiance, the annoyance dominating her voice.  
  
"The penguins! The penguins!" he cried.  
  
"It's your card," said Defiance exasperated, "What is so wrong with penguins?"  
  
"You don't know? Liar! You know! But I'll play your game. The penguins already know I'm an enemy so I won't lose anything by telling you what you already know," he said half hysterical.  
  
"The penguins are very intelligent," he began, "And they can fly. They don't do it when people are watch, oh no. They wait until everyone is gone. Then they fly all over the place. That is how they got to South America. They fly out through the hole in the ozone layer. From there they enter space and are planning to take over the whole universe."  
  
"Um, the hole in the ozone layer is in the North Pole and penguins live in the South Pole," Defiance pointed out, interrupting Tommy's ratings.  
  
"That is what the penguins what you to believe," he said, then continued, "They are very cunning and dangerous. Even the Yeerks couldn't face those birds. That is why those brain-stealing aliens left our planet alone. But it won't be long before the penguins attack the Yeerks. And the penguins will win, they are unstoppable. The penguins will take over the universe."  
  
(The Yeerks are creations of K.A. Applegate and I disclaim. I'm a total Animorphs fan, so if you ever have a chance read the series.)  
  
"But first they have to take over our planet," continued Tommy, his voice wasn't so stressed now. Defiance shifted, getting bored. "They live in ketchup and control all McDonalds and Burger King. That is where they infiltrate people. Humans only use 10% of their brains, so if you cut open a human skull you will find ten very, very large boxes. Open one box and in it is everything you have ever learned. In the other nine, penguins. They can control people that way and will eventually enslave our entire race. But since they live in ketchup there is only one way to fight them, mustard. Mustard is poison to penguins and it is the only way to stop them from taking over the universe." Tommy finished. He was breathing hard, like an empty bagpipe.  
  
(I want to thank my friend Lady Akhana for the great penguin conspiracy idea.)  
  
"Fascinating, really," said Defiance sarcastically.  
  
"You don't believe me, traitor," he said, "Oh, but you will believe me. Bu then it will be too late, it will be way to late. You'll believe me when the penguins start flying around in your skull. But then it will be too late. You will be theirs forever."  
  
"Sure, kid," she said, very annoyed. "It is my turn now and I am going." She drew her card.  
  
"I play Eldeen in attack mode," said Defiance as she laid down her card. Eldeen was a spell caster type. She had an attack of 950 and defense of 1000. Eldeen was a feminine monster who looked like a priestess. She had on a long white robe with dark blue trim. It highlighted her dark blue hair. She carried a staff as long as she was. The golden staff had a glowing blue orb in the middle.  
  
"I attack your Penguin Soldier with my Eldeen," said Defiance. The monsters clashed and Tommy lost 200 life points.  
  
"You can't beat the penguins, they are unstoppable!" cried Tommy.  
  
"Kid, you need some serious therapy," said Defiance.  
  
"You mean seeing the people in white coats? I already met them. The walls were cool because you could bounce on them. But the food stank. They also had these really uncomfortable jackets that they insisted everyone wear. But I didn't like it there so I ran away," said Tommy.  
  
"You ran away from the nuthouse!?" exclaimed Defiance. She didn't quite believe him.  
  
"Yeah, if that is what you want to call it," said Tommy, "Getting back to the game. I play this monster card and this magic card face down." He did that and ended his turn. Defiance started her next turn.  
  
"I move my Eldeen to defense mode and this monster card face down also," she said.  
  
"My turn. I use my magic card, which is Umi," said Tommy. Defiance groaned. Umi turned the whole field into an ocean. She would lose any field advantage she had. The holo-field replaced all the bushes with white capped waves.  
  
"Then I play my Arma Knight in attack mode," said Tommy. The Arma Knight was a crustacean. It had on thick glasses and held a sword. It had a large, heavy shell on its back and several tentacles that waved around. Because of the field its attack was 1500 and its defense was 1700.  
  
"I attack your Eldeen with my Arma Knight," he said and Defiance lost her monster, but no life points. Defiance silently drew her card.  
  
"I play Protector of the Throne in defense mode," said Defiance. The Protector of the Throne had an attack of 800 and a defense of 1500. She would be able to stand up to Tommy's Arma Knight. She had full-length flaming red hair and a purple ruffled dress. She absentmindedly played with a sky blue orb.  
  
"Your move," said Defiance.  
  
"I play this card in attack mode," said Tommy and the Penguin Knight appeared. The Penguin Knight strongly resembled the Penguin Soldier except it was blue, not violet. The Penguin Knight, because of the field, had an attack of 1400 and a defense of 1300.  
  
"They're coming! They're coming!" cried Tommy, "They know that I know!"  
  
"Calm down! It is your monster," said Defiance. She was very, very annoyed with him.  
  
"One by one the penguins come and slowly steal my sanity," said Tommy.  
  
"There isn't anything left to steal," retorted Defiance.  
  
"Do you know the great thing about insanity? It is contagious. Come, join me in my madness," said Tommy with a sinister undertone. Defiance cringed.  
  
"I attack your face down card with my Arma Knight," said Tommy. Defiance's card was flipped over to reveal her Queen's Double, whose stats were 350 and 300. The Queen's Double lost in the battle.  
  
Defiance still had perfect life points and Tommy was down to 1800. He had a face down card, a Penguin Knight, and an Arma Knight. Defiance only had her Protector of the Throne. She drew her next card.  
  
"I play the Water Dragon Fairy in attack mode," she declared. The Water Dragon Fairy was an Aqua type so her stats went from 1100 and 700 to 1600 and 1200. She had on a tight fitting green outfit and long white socks. Her shoes were the same color as her outfit. She had pink hair that was tied in two odangos.  
  
"And now, Water Dragon Fairy, attack his Arma Knight," declared Defiance. The holo-field showed the two monsters approach each other. Tommy's Arma Knight fell and he lost 100 life points.  
  
"Fine, I play this card in defense mode," said Tommy as he drew, "And I also move the penguin to defense mode."  
  
"Then I play the Ice Water in attack mode and a magic card," she said. The Ice Water was another feminine aqua monster. It stats were 1650 and 1400, because of Umi. She was a mermaid with green skin and tail. Her hair was brown and hung in wet strings. She wore a dull pink belly shirt.  
  
"I attack your first defending card with my Ice Water," she said. The Electric Penguin was flipped over and lost.  
  
"No! Not another penguin. They are hiding. Soon they will ambush us. Then it is all over. We are all dead! The end is coming!" cried Tommy who was becoming hysterical.  
  
"Chill, dude. I also attack your Penguin Knight with my Water Dragon Fairy," she declared. The holo-field showed her fairy charge the Penguin Knight and showed the penguin collapse.  
  
"No more penguins, see," said Defiance, "Nothing else to worry about."  
  
"You can't beat the penguins! They are unstoppable!" cried Tommy.  
  
"Just go," said Defiance tersely.  
  
"The penguins told me to play this card in attack mode," said Tommy as he laid the card down. The Flying Penguin appeared on the field. It was twice as big as the Penguin Soldier or Penguin Knight. It was a deep navy blue with long eyebrows that were supposed to be its wings. Because of Umi its attack went from 1200 to 1700 and its defense went from 1000 to 1500.  
  
"Not again!" screamed Tommy.  
  
"Oh, brother," muttered Defiance.  
  
"The Flying Penguin will attack and destroy your monsters. They are unstoppable!" cried Tommy. The Flying Penguin charged Defiance's monsters.  
  
"Not quite, I played the Acid Trap Hole which I activate this turn," declared Defiance. Tommy's Flying Penguin disappeared just as it was about to attack her Ice Water.  
  
"Your move," said Defiance with a note of sarcasm.  
  
"I play this card face down in defense mode," said Tommy as he played his card. Defiance drew her next card and smiled.  
  
"I play this magic card face down," she said, "It won't be long, penguin guy..."  
  
"Penguins! Where!" screamed Tommy, frantically looking around.  
  
"It won't be long before you lose," Defiance finished.  
  
"Lose? Are we playing some kind of game?" asked Tommy. For a moment he was lucid.  
  
"Where have you been!?" asked Defiance, "Please tell me you are joking."  
  
"This is no joke! The penguins are a real threat," said Tommy as he resumed his rantings. At the bottom of the holo-field Martin clutched his ears. This was almost too much for him.  
  
"Just play the game," said Defiance, trying to distract him.  
  
"I play another card face down in defense mode," said Tommy. His life points were 1700 and Defiance still had 2000. Tommy had his Arma Knight plus two other cards in defense mode. Defiance had her Protector of the Throne in defense mode and her Ice Water and Water Dragon Fairy in attack mode. She also had one magic card. Defiance drew her next card.  
  
"I play this magic card face down to end my turn," she said, "It is over, you have lost."  
  
"Again with the game stuff," said Tommy, "But you will see it is not a game when the penguins come and attack us." The holo-field must have thought that Tommy was telling his monster to attack. One of the face down cards flipped to reveal another Penguin Soldier. It charged Defiance's monsters.  
  
"You see! The invasion has begun," screamed Tommy as his monster raced towards Defiance's Water Dragon Fairy.  
  
"Wait! I just laid down a trap card, which I am activating now," said Defiance in aloud voice. "I play Reinforcements. It will increase the attack of my Water Dragon Fairy by 500 points." The Penguin Soldier clashed with the Water Dragon Fairy and the penguin lost. Tommy lost 850 life points. Defiance drew her next card.  
  
"Yes! I play Mystical Sand in attack mode," she said as she laid it down. The Mystical Sand appeared, hovering over the ocean field.  
  
"And now I play my magic card," she declared, "Defense Paralysis. Defense Paralysis makes it impossible for you to defend. All of your defending cards are switched to attack mode."  
  
"What? I don't think that is good," said Tommy.  
  
"You think! That is a new one by me," retorted Defiance.  
  
"And now I will destroy your monsters," she continued. "Mystical Sands attack Arma Knight." The two monsters fought and the Arma Knight disappeared with a bright flash of light. Tommy was down to 250 life points.  
  
"To finish you I'll have my Ice Water attack your Penguin Knight," said Defiance, "Go!" The mermaid swam to the Penguin Knight and slashed at the monster with her many blades. The Penguin Soldier fell and Tommy lost the rest of his life points.  
  
"The duel is over. I have won," said Defiance.  
  
"What duel?" asked Tommy.  
  
"Just give me the two star chips," she replied.  
  
"What is a star chip?" asked Tommy, "Oh, you mean those strange pins that they gave us when we got invited here. Take it, I have no use for them."  
  
Defiance just stood there amazed as Tommy handed her the chips and walked away.  
  
"Well, Martin, I am extremely glad that is over," she said, "And now we have six star chips. We are over half way to getting into the castle and the final round." Martin smiled, then yawned. The last duel had been to stressful on him. 


	6. YuGi vs Seto?

Lady Akhana: No one would believe me. No one! But the penguins are a real threat and now it may be too late.  
  
Gema J. Gall: I believe you. I think. I haven't felt right since I hand that Super Sized fry yesterday.  
  
Lady Akhana: Did you eat mustard?  
  
Gema J. Gall: On French fries, No.  
  
Moonlady: Oh No!  
  
Lady Akhana: The penguins got her! The penguins got her!  
  
Moonlady: Someone get the mustard.  
  
Star: Anyone else got the urge to migrate south?  
  
Lady Akhana: Star needs mustard too!  
  
Star: No listen! The penguins are onto us! I was at the zoo today and one glared at me! They know we know! It won't belong until they come after us.  
  
Moonlady: I'll be sleeping with a baseball bat under my pillow tonight.  
  
Gema J. Gall: I'll borrow my brother's paint ball gun.  
  
Star: My tennis racket won't leave my side.  
  
Lady Akhana: Forget that! I'm going to keep a jar of mustard next to my bed.  
  
Moonlady: Good idea.  
  
Star: We should split before the penguins find us.  
  
Gema J. Gall: I agree. The next Penguin Opposition Force meeting will be at Moonlady's house. It's Lady Akhana's turn to bring the mustard.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Well, Martin, I am extremely glad that is over," she said, "And now we have six star chips. We are over half way to getting into the castle and the final round." Martin smiled, then yawned. The last duel had been to stressful on him.  
  
"I know you are tired Martin, but I think we should stick with the plan and go find other duelists. I don't want to leave here, but if we don't find four more star chips in the next day we will run out of food," said Defiance. Martin nodded then yawned.  
  
"Let's go," said Defiance. Martin retrieved his backpack. The two of them then walked over the bridge that they had guard the past day. When they had reached the other side Defiance held out her hand and Martin lead her through the forest. It was a long twisting trail and due to an incident with a thorn bush it took them the better part of an hour to exit the woods. It was now mid-afternoon.  
  
"I think we should stop for a break," said Defiance when she heard people shouting. "Wait! There's a duel going on up ahead. Let's check it out." The two made their way to the holo-field.  
  
Defiance listened carefully as they approached. A man with a thick gravely voice was talking, followed by loud protests from a kid. She guessed the man to be one of the guards on the island. Following the protest she heard a vaguely familiar voice, but she was to far away to place it. Then she heard Martin gasp.  
  
"What is it?" she asked him.  
  
"Yu-Gi is dueling Seto Kaiba!" he exclaimed.  
  
"What!?" Defiance exclaimed, "We are so sticking around. What is happening?" The two were now at the right side of the field. Yu-Gi and Kaiba were in position already. Tea, Joe, Tristan, the man, and the boy were on the left side of the field. The only ones who'd be able to see Defiance and Martin were Yu-Gi and Seto, but they didn't look. Defiance listened to their conversations.  
  
"It's great to see you again Yu-Gi," said Kaiba. Kaiba wore a long blue over coat and matching shirt and pants. His brown hair was immaculate. His intense blue eyes were sinister. There was something evil in his voice. Defiance felt like she was missing something big. She couldn't place it, but she felt like a shadow was covering the whole area.  
  
"Yes, Yu-Gi, a blast from your past. And you don't stand a ghost of a chance," taunted the guard, "Because your opponent is a ghost!" The guard wore the typical uniform that all of Pegasus's guards wore; a dark navy blue shirt with pressed black pants. This guard had tried to catch on the latest fashions and had his hair spiked. It did not look good on him.  
  
"That's not my brother!" the kid screamed. He had wild black hair and a haunted look in his eyes. He had on a yellow and red striped shirt and dirty jeans.  
  
"He must be Mokuba Kaiba," thought Defiance.  
  
"You wish," said the guard, sarcastically, "Two witnesses saw him fall to his death earlier today. But he was just dying for one last chance to duel, so Pegasus arranged it."  
  
"That is not my brother!" insisted Mokuba.  
  
"Come on Yug, you beat Kaiba before and you can take him again," said Joe.  
  
"You can beat him," said Tea, "Mokuba is counting on it."  
  
"He only beat me before because he had Exodia," said Seto, "But since he lost it he doesn't stand a chance." Defiance gaped. Yu-Gi had lost Exodia! She was stunned.  
  
"I also don't have to worry about having a heart," continued Seto, "The only thing left for me is sweet revenge."  
  
"Don't listen to him Yu-Gi. He's not my brother," urged Mokuba. Yu-Gi nodded in agreement.  
  
"Are you through talking," said Yu-Gi, "It's time to duel!" Defiance noticed a change in his voice. It seemed more mature, more in control. Yu- Gi sounded incredibly confident and well, different.  
  
"My first move is a blast from the past, Yu-Gi," said Seto Kaiba, his voice dripping with malice. "I play the Hitotsu-me Giant in attack mode." He slammed the card down and the giant appeared on the holo-field. Its attack was 1200 and defense was 1000. The Hitotsu-me Giant was a green Cyclops in a loin cloth. It towered over the field, waiting for Yu-Gi's first card.  
  
"Oh, no! That was the first card Kaiba used in our last duel. He must be trying to psych me out," Defiance heard Yu-Gi mutter. Again she was amazed at how different Yu-Gi sounded.  
  
Defiance was still trying to figure out what was going on. The stakes somehow seemed to be higher in this duel. Although, Defiance wasn't sure how she knew or how much higher they were. Also, the guard and Seto kept insisting that Kaiba was a ghost. The others seemed to be convinced that it wasn't even Seto Kaiba at all. Mokuba Kaiba seemed to be having a nervous breakdown with all the yelling he was doing. Defiance snapped out of her thoughts. Several turns had passed.  
  
"I play.." said Kaiba as he laid down his next card. The holo-field showed a large dragon appear on the field. It was a misty gray-white color and its scaly armor obvious. It flapped its monstrous wings and glared at Yu- Gi's monsters with its intense blue eyes.  
  
"What!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"It can't be!" Defiance heard Yu-Gi's friends exclaim.  
  
"The Blue Eyes White Dragon! But only one deck has that card," Yu-Gi exclaimed. The Blue Eyes White Dragon was one of the rarest cards in the world. Only four were made and Defiance had heard rumors that one had been destroyed. It ha an attack of 3000 and defense of 2500.  
  
"Maybe this creep really is Kaiba," said Joe, but he didn't sound so sure.  
  
"I don't know," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"Yu-Gi, you have to believe me," said Mokuba, "That is not my brother. Everyone thinks he's a really bad guy but he's not. He's my best friend. You have to believe me. That is not Seto." He sounded ready to cry. Yu-Gi nodded in agreement.  
  
Defiance was bewildered. Martin stood there with his mouth open. The whole 'Is this Seto Kaiba?' was confusing both of them. During the next few turns the Blue Eyes destroyed several of Yu-Gi's monsters until Yu-Gi unleashed a combo that took it out.  
  
"Great job, Yug," said Joe.  
  
"I knew you could do it," encouraged Tea.  
  
"Keep it up," added Tristan.  
  
"So you destroyed one," taunted Seto, "Do you think you can handle another?" He laid down his second Blue Eyes White Dragon.  
  
"Oh no!" cried Yu-Gi.  
  
"Why don't you forfeit. At least you can maintain some dignity that way," said the guard. Yu-Gi ignored him. During the next several turns it seemed like Yu-Gi was going to lose.  
  
"Blue Eyes attack the Dark Magician," ordered Kaiba. The dragon charged the Dark Magician, ready to annihilate it. But it froze half way down the field.  
  
"Yu-Gi!" Defiance heard a voice call, but it sounded more like a faint echo.  
  
The Blue Eyes White Dragon began to crumble. Then it disappeared with a flash of light.  
  
"NO! How?" cried Seto.  
  
"You aren't Seto Kaiba," said Yu-Gi, a smile appearing on his face. "I just heard Seto Kaiba calling out to me. And the heart of the cards responded to him. You are an impostor!"  
  
"I told you!" cried Mokuba.  
  
The rest of the duel went down hill for Seto (or whoever he was). Yu-Gi won.  
  
"Now to reveal this impostor!" cried Yu-Gi. If Defiance could see, she would have seen a glowing Eye of Horus appear on Yu-Gi's forehead.  
  
Martin assumed the holo-field must have been malfunctioning because a sudden unexplainable burst of light shot forward, towards Kaiba. For a second the whole holo-field was engulfed.  
  
"Who are you?" demanded Yu-Gi at the figure standing in Kaiba's spot. It looked like a cross between the Baron of the Fiend Sword card and Saggi the Dark Clown card. Its face was enormous with many warts and moles. It had sickly green hair and an unusual outfit on.  
  
"In a way I am Seto Kaiba," the thing said, "When you beat him you ripped me out from him. I am Dark Seto Kaiba. Pegasus brought me back from the Shadow Realm to duel you."  
  
"Where I will send you no one will be able to bring you back," said Yu-Gi. There was another bright flash of light. Defiance heard footsteps leaving the field. They sound like a man, but the were not regular.  
  
"You beat him. Yeah!" said Joe as Yu-Gi exited the field.  
  
"Hey," said Tea looking around, "That creep ran off with Mokuba!"  
  
"What!?" said Tristan. Defiance turned her attention to Martin.  
  
"Let's get out of here," she said. She place a hand on his shoulder. Martin was shaking.  
  
"Are you O.K.?" she asked, genuinely concerned.  
  
"I just want to get out of here," he whispered. His voice was shaking also. Without another word he took Defiance's hand and lead her away.  
  
(if anyone has more details about these two episodes please e-mail me with them.) 


	7. Deadly Dragon Duel

The two walked for several more minutes. Martin walked quickly. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and that freaky duel behind him as possible.  
  
"Martin, I think we need to stop. You need to relax," said Defiance. She was starting to get worried about him. Although she hadn't seen the last duel it sounded bad enough. It had really shaken Martin.  
  
Defiance and Martin stopped walking. Martin leaned against a tree then slid down it until he was sitting. Then he pulled his legs to his chin, buried his face in his knees, and didn't move.  
  
Defiance stood nearby wondering how she could help Martin. She never had been good with people. Or was it people had never been good with her? She always seemed to be on the outside. No one had really accepted her until she met Luther. Then, through Luther, she met Martin. They were the only two people to even treat her like another living person.  
  
Defiance choked. "Why do I always think about such morbid topics? I can't change the past. Luther is in the past. I cannot change that. I need to move on. Right now I am in a major Duel Monsters tournament. Martin needs a few minutes to chill. Then we are going to find more duelists to duel. The longer we last the later we return to the group home."  
  
"Hey you!" a loud voice shook Defiance out of her thoughts.  
  
"Yeah, you. You're a duelist. Let's duel," he said.  
  
"So much for subtleties," thought Defiance, "Awfully eager aren't you. You aren't even going to give me a name?"  
  
"I'm Collin," he replied. He was on the tall side, but incredibly gangly. He had on an oversized T-shirt of some rock band. He also wore khaki shorts. He had a ball cap on backwards.  
  
"Call me Defiance," she extended her name.  
  
"Defiance? No, really. What is your real name?" Collin asked.  
  
"It is Defiance," she said again, grinding her teeth. Again the bitterness about her name rose.  
  
"Well are you going to duel me or not?" Collin asked again.  
  
"I should teach this rude creep a lesson," she thought.  
  
"How many star chips?" she asked, making up her mind.  
  
"I only need three more to enter the castle. Three star chips," he said.  
  
"Fine three star chips," Defiance agreed, "I hope it was just a fluke he has so many star chips."  
  
Martin rose to his feet, a tired look in his eyes. He wasn't looking forward to another duel, especially if it turned out to be like the last one. He was also still shaken up by the strange things he saw in the duel where Yu-Gi beat Kaiba's "ghost".  
  
"Let's see, there is a holo-field that way," said Collin as he pointed in the direction Defiance and Martin had just come from. It was the field where Yu-Gi had just dueled. Collin started to walk towards it.  
  
"Let's go Martin. We can rest after this," said Defiance softly. Martin began to lead her after Collin.  
  
"What! Do you need someone to hold your hand?" taunted Collin looking back. Defiance pursed her lips together and said nothing. Martin looked at the ground. They made their way to the holo-field.  
  
"Here's my deck, let's shuffle," said Collin. They exchanged decks.  
  
"What the screw!?" exclaimed Collin when he was handed her deck. Defiance turned to face him, sunglasses off, with her hands on her cocked hips.  
  
Collin opened his mouth and a little squeak came out, but nothing else.  
  
"I'm blind, O.K.?" said Defiance, with a note of defiance in her voice, "Let's get on with it." She took her deck back and walked towards her platform. It was the same one Yu-Gi had used.  
  
"Let's duel. You can go first," said Collin when they were both in their place. Defiance drew and examined her hand.  
  
"I play the Goddess of Whim in attack mode," declared Defiance as she placed her card down. The goddess appeared on the field. Her hair was actually long leafy vines. She wore a sleeveless blue dress. When she played she yawned and stretched like she didn't care that she was in a duel. Her attack was 950 and defense 700.  
  
"Martin, what is the field?" asked Defiance.  
  
"Light," he answered. Light is the default or normal field. No monsters received a field advantage or disadvantage on a Light field.  
  
"Then I play Dragon Statue in attack mode," declared Collin as he played his card. The Dragon Statue appeared on the field. It was a statue of a dragon (obviously) that was the color of sandstone. It held a shield and sword and didn't move. It was actually a warrior type, and was on the smaller end of size for a dragon. It's attack was 1100 and defense 900.  
  
"Attack Goddess of Whim," yelled Collin. The Dragon Statue slowly made its way to Defiance's fairy type. The Goddess was dreaming and didn't appear to realize the danger until the Dragon Statue swung its sword. The Goddess of Whim was destroyed and Defiance lost 250 life points. Defiance drew her next card.  
  
"I play the Enchanting Mermaid in attack mode," said Defiance as she place her card in the place her Goddess of Whim had just been. The mermaid had an attack of 1200 and a defense of 900. She had a long pink tail that matched the little shirt she was wearing. Her orange hair clung to her blue skin.  
  
"Mermaid attack his Dragon Statue!" yelled Defiance. She listened as Collin lost 100 life points.  
  
"For my next turn I will play the Darkfire Dragon in attack mode," said Collin in a loud voice. The Darkfire Dragon was a long sinusoidal monster made solely of flames. It had smoky black eyes that glared at its prey.  
  
"Attack," ordered Collin and the dragon slithered to her mermaid.  
  
"Not quite," said Defiance. "The Darkfire Dragon is also a Pyro type so my Fish-Aqua type has an advantage." The holo-field raised the Enchanting Mermaids attack by 300. With their attacks equal both monsters were destroyed in the clash, but no life points were affected.  
  
"Now it is my turn," said Defiance as she drew her card. "I play Fairy's Gift in attack mode." The monster appeared on the field. It had two enormous wings that resembled a swallow tail butterfly. Her skin was a light blue and so was her dress. Her dark blue hair was blown around as she flapped to stay airborne. Her stats were 1400 and 1000.  
  
"I also play a magic card to end my turn," said Defiance.  
  
"Then I play the Koumori Dragon in attack mode," said Collin. Its stats were 1500 and 1200. It was a dark violet color with wicked claws. The ends of its wings were bright red. It was about half the size of the really powerful dragons, which means it was still taller than most people.  
  
"Koumori attack!" ordered Collin.  
  
"Wait!" yelled Defiance, "I played a trap card. I activate the Bear Trap. It destroys any attacking monster with an attack less than or equal to 1500. You monster just meets that requirement." The Koumori Dragon disappeared with blazing lights.  
  
"And now I play The Snake Hair," said Defiance. The Snake Hair, with the stats of 1500 and 1200, was her ugliest monster. She was a gorgon with royal blue skin. The zombie's lower body was a snake and she wore a black flowing shirt.  
  
"I counter with my Blackland Fire Dragon," said Collin. The dragon was summoned on to the field. It was a green stereotypical dragon with an attack of 1500 and a defense of 800.  
  
"Attack Fairy's Gift," cried Collin. The dragon blasted a huge flame at the fairy and she disappeared with a high shriek. Defiance lost 100 life points which brought her down to 1650. Collin had 1900.  
  
"Since their attacks are the same I play the Beautiful Beast Tamer in attack mode," declared Defiance. The Beautiful Beast Tamer was the female counter part to the male Monster Tamer card. She had an attack of 1750 and a defense of 1500. She wore a silky full-body suit that someone might see on an acrobat. Out of her wavy dark green hair poked two cat like ears. She cracked her whip at the Blackland Fire Dragon.  
  
"Beautiful Beast Tamer destroy Blackland Fire Dragon," ordered Defiance. The Beautiful Beast Tamer stepped forward and used her whip the beat the dragon. The dragon collapsed and Collin lost 250 life points.  
  
"I play Meteor Dragon, attack mode," declared Collin. His next dragon appeared on the field. It looked like a turtle with dragon appendages and head. Two tiny bluish-black wings poked out of its molten lava colored shell. It's purple head snapped at the Beautiful Beast Tamer's cracking whip. The dragon's attack and defense were 1800 and 2000.  
  
"Meteor Dragon attack the Beautiful Beast Tamer," decreed Collin. The monster moved forward, the air around it blurred with the heat the dragon produced. The Meteor Dragon snapped its head towards the beast tamer and she disappeared with a blaze of light. Defiance's life points were reduced to 1600.  
  
"I play the Rogue Doll in attack mode," said Defiance in a loud voice. The Rogue Doll was a spell caster whose stats were 1600 and 1000. She had a pale face that was half covered by the large violet hat she was wearing. The hat strangely resembled the pope's hat, if it came past the ears. The Rogue Doll's violet dress also rapped around her head. She looked like a package with a face in the middle.  
  
"I also use the Book of Secret Arts to power up her defense and attack by 300 points," declared Defiance as she played her magic card.  
  
"Rogue Doll attack Meteor Dragon," said Defiance and doll cast a spell that obliterate the Meteor Dragon. Collin lost 100 life points.  
  
"I play the Sky Dragon in attack mode," said Collin. The Sky Dragon was a pink dragon with two sets of dark wings. It's tail whipped back and forth as it prepared to attack. Its stats were 1900 and 1800.  
  
"You didn't move your zombie to defense mode so Sky Dragon attack The Snake Hair," ordered Collin. The Sky Dragon took off and attacked the zombie from above. Defiance lost 400 life points. Defiance now had a total of 1200 life points and Collin had 1550. Defiance had her powered up Rogue Doll and Collin had his Sky Dragon, who were equal in attacks.  
  
I play the Spirit of the Harp in defense mode along with a magic card," said Defiance. The Spirit of the Harp appeared beside the Rogue Doll. She had on a sunny yellow robe and matching saggy hat. She strummed on a harp that appeared with her. Her attack was 800 and her defense was 2000.  
  
"For my next turn I play Seiyaryu," said Collin as his monster took shape on the field below. It was a strange dragon. Pale pink in color, it resembled an origami bird more than a dragon. It's wings/arms were held behind its back. Its narrow, pointed head and beak swiveled around, looking at Defiance's two monsters. It walked, more like hopped on two feet. It was a formidable opponent with an attack of 2500 and a defense of 2300.  
  
"Seiyaryu attack the Rogue Doll," order Collin.  
  
"No it won't. My magic card is the Trap Hole. It destroys any monster with an attack of 1000 or more," said Defiance as she played the trap. The Seiyaryu disappeared in a fissure that the holo-field created.  
  
Collin groaned.  
  
"I play this card face down in defense mode," said Defiance as she laid down her Angelwitch. "If he keeps pulling cards like that I'm going to need a better hand. Why didn't I put my Pot of Greed in? Oh well. I'll have to trust my deck and handle this duel with what I have."  
  
"Your move," said Defiance.  
  
"I play the Aqua Dragon in attack mode. I also power it up with Invigoration," said Collin. His new monster appeared on the field. It was an ocean blue dragon with a teal belly. It raised itself on to its back legs. It towered over Defiance's monster ready to strike. Because of Collin's magic card its stats were 2750 and 2400.  
  
"Aqua Dragon attack Rogue Doll," ordered Collin. The Aqua Dragon shot a beam of ice at the Rogue Doll and it collapsed, causing Defiance to lose 850 life points.  
  
Defiance was down to 350 life points and Collin had 1550. Collin had his Sky Dragon and powered up Aqua Dragon in attack mode. Defiance had her Spirit of the Harp and Angelwitch, still face down, in defense mode.  
  
"This is not good. I need something, anything," thought Defiance, "I hope this next card will be what I need." She drew her next card. It was Dian Keto the Cure Master, a magic card. Defiance thought for a moment.  
  
"I play these two magic cards face down," she declared, playing her new card and one from her hand.  
  
"First I use Dian Keto the Cure Master to restore 1000 life points," she said. The holo-field raised her back to 1350.  
  
"Then I play the Dark Hole," continued Defiance as she turned her last card over. A black void appeared in the middle of the field, sucking it clean. The monsters on the field tried to escape, but it was to powerful. When the holo-field was done not a monster or magic card was left. Hers and Collins, they had all been destroyed. Defiance picked up her in play cards and put them in the graveyard.  
  
"You turn," said Defiance.  
  
"You destroyed your own monsters!" exclaimed Collin.  
  
"Just go," said Defiance impatiently.  
  
"I play this card face down in attack mode," said Collin.  
  
"I'll play my Spirit of the Winds in attack mode," said Defiance, hoping it was a good move. The Spirit of the Winds was a transparent monster with a blue tint. She was a spell caster whose attack was 1700 and defense was 1400. She wore what looked like pale green strips of cloth, but they faded into a breeze once they were six inches away from her body.  
  
"I play Stone D. and attack your Spirit of the Winds with my Black Dragon Jungle King," said Collin, turning the card over, "Attack!" The Black Dragon Jungle King strongly resembled a tyrannosaurus-rex that was completely black. Its stats were 2100 and 1800. It destroyed the spell caster with a swing of its tail and Defiance lost 400 life points. She had 950 left.  
  
The Stone D. was another sinusoidal dragon, even though it was a rock type. The head resembled the Great Stone Dragon from Mulan. (Again, not mine, but the comparison is perfect.) The Stone D. was completely black like the jungle king. Its attack, 2000. Defense 2300.  
  
"Then I play the Mystical Elf in defense mode," declared Defiance, "And I power her up with Elf's light. The Mystical Elf was a fairy type in pale green dress that showed off her collarbone. It had a silver collar and long blonde flowing hair. A silver tiara sat on her head. She now had an attack of 1300 and a defense of 2500.  
  
"I play the Kaiser Dragon in attack mode," said Collin. The Kaiser Dragon was straight out of Chinese mythology. It looked like the golden dragon in all their artwork. It had an attack of 2300 and a defense of 2000, the opposite of the Stone D.  
  
"Since I can't beat your Mystical Elf yet, it is your turn," said Collin.  
  
"I play the Beautiful Head Huntress in attack mode," said Defiance. The warrior appeared next to the Mystical Elf. Her attack was 1600 and defense 800.  
  
"Why did you do that?" asked Collin.  
  
"Because I am also going to play my Swords of Revealing Light to freeze all your monsters for three turns," said Defiance as she played her magic card.  
  
"Fine, it will give me the chance to make my team unstoppable. First I move my Stone D. to defense mode.," said Collin after a row of shining swords encased his monsters.  
  
"I play Serpent Night Dragon in attack mode and a magic card," said Collin. The Serpent Night Dragon was a psychedelic sinusoidal dragon. It was a rare card. Defiance knew this to mean that he had won a major tournament before. With an attack of 2350 and a defense of 2400 Defiance knew she would need a magic card to beat him. And fast, because she only had two more turns for him to be frozen.  
  
"I play my Dark Elf in attack mode," said Defiance, "And I also power her up with Elf's Light. The Dark Elf was the counterpart to the Mystical Elf. The only visible difference between the two was the long jet black hair if the Dark Elf. Her attack had been raised to 2500 and her defense was 1300, the exact opposite of her counter part.  
  
"And because I played them together their stats are raised by 250 points," finished Defiance. It was now Defiance with 950 life points, a Dark Elf in attack mode with an attack of 2750, a Mystical Elf in defense mode with a defense of 2750, and the Beautiful Head Huntress in attack mode with 1600 points. Collin had his Stone D. in defense mode at 2300, a Serpent Night Dragon in attack mode at 2350, Kaiser Dragon at 2300 attack, and the Black Dragon Jungle King in attack mode at 2100. He had 1550 life points left, but he was also under the Swords of Revealing Light still.  
  
"I attack your Serpent Night Dragon with my Dark Elf," said Defiance, "Attack!" The elf charged the paralyzed dragon.  
  
"My turn for a trap," said Collin as he picked up his magic card. "I played Waboku." Waboku reduces any attacking monsters attack to 0 for that turn. The holo-field showed a ring of sages appear, which shielded the Serpent Night Dragon, preventing the Dark Elf from scratching him.  
  
"For my turn," continued Collin, "I play another magic card. One more turn and beware."  
  
"Then I play my Warrior of Tradition in attack mode," said Defiance, beginning to grow more confident. The Warrior of Tradition appeared next to the Beautiful Head Huntress, her counterpart. They looked a lot alike, but the Warrior of Tradition had darker hair, a red and green kimono, and a large ax, well butcher's knife. Her attack was 1900 and defense was 1700. Because they were on the field together the Beautiful Head Huntress's stats were 1850 and 1050, and the Warrior of Tradition was at 2050 and 1950.  
  
"I also play the magic card Shadow Spell," said Defiance. "It let's me chose one of your monsters and decreases its stats by 1000. And I chose the Serpent Night Dragon."  
  
"I knew you might try something like that so I played a Reverse Trap card," said Collin arrogantly, "It changes it from -1000 to +1000." The holo- field raised the stats of the Serpent Night Dragon to 3350 and 3400.  
  
"I attack your Kaiser Dragon with my Dark Elf," ordered Defiance. The elf easily disposed of the dragon. Collin lost 450 life points bring him down to 1100.  
  
"In one more turn my monsters will be free to attack you. Tick-Tock you are done for," gloated Collin. "And since it is my turn I play the Twin- Headed Thunder Dragon in attack mode and power it up with Dragon Claw, just to make sure you don't win." It stats went from 2800 and 2100 to 3300 and 2600.  
  
"Even if you want to risk destroying my Black Dragon Jungle King or Stone D., you'll have to leave that card in attack mode, and then it is all over," finished Collin.  
  
"How did that happen?" wondered Defiance, "I had him. And now I am back down to my only hope being the next card I draw. Please, let this be a winner." She picked up the top card on her deck. It was the Change of Heart magic card.  
  
"Hhhm," thought Defiance.  
  
"Get on with it," said Collin.  
  
"I play a magic card," said Defiance, removing it from her hand and placing it on the field.  
  
"First I play the Change of Heart and take over your Serpent Night Dragon," said Defiance. The holo-field showed a humanoid with one angel wing and one demon wing rush for the dragon. There was a flash of light and the Serpent Night Dragon was hers to control for the rest of her turn.  
  
"No!" cried Collin as his monster joined Defiance's feminine creatures.  
  
"And since I'm not the one affected by the Swords of Revealing Light the Serpent Night Dragon is free to attack," taunted Defiance. "Serpent Night Dragon attack the Black Dragon Jungle King." The monsters charged each other. The Serpent Night fired rays of darkness at the jungle king and he went down with a resounding thud. The holo-field subtracted the rest of Collin's life points.  
  
"Wow, you're really good," said Collin after they had exited the field. "How many tournaments have you won?"  
  
"None, this is my first tournament ever," replied Defiance, a little surprised at his friendly behavior.  
  
"So I was beaten by a rookie? Oh well, you won't stay a rookie for long," said Collin. He began to walk away.  
  
"Do you know that your only the second person to beat me in a tournament?" he added, turning around.  
  
"No, I didn't know," she answered.  
  
"Yeah, the only other person who beat me was this girl named Mai," said Collin. It took Defiance a few seconds to place the name.  
  
"I've heard about her. Isn't she claiming to be psychic?" asked Defiance.  
  
"Yeah. It was really freaky. She played all her cards without even looking at them," said Collin.  
  
"You just played another duel like that. I didn't see any of my cards," said Defiance in a monotone voice.  
  
"Well, she had no other way to read them. But she only won because she psyched me out. Oh well, I guess I need to find more people to duel," he said and walked away.  
  
"Bizarre," thought Defiance, "This Mai, she seems like the kind of person I need to eliminate. I think we'll go and find her."  
  
"Hey, Martin," said Defiance. Martin turned around. He had been watching Collin leave.  
  
"Let's find some place quiet for a break," said Defiance, "I think we earned it." Martin smiled, took her hand, and they went and sat under a tree. 


	8. Mai Valentine

A couple of hours later both felt refreshed and relaxed. Martin had put the duel between Kaiba and Yu-Gi down as a bad dream.  
  
"Martin, do you remember all the things everyone has been saying about that girl named Mai?" asked Defiance as she got up and stretched in the late afternoon sun.  
  
Martin gave an affirmative response.  
  
"She's the one I want to duel next. She sounds like the very reason I'm here," said Defiance. A smile broke out across her face. "I want to eliminate her."  
  
Martin looked shocked.  
  
"Do you have an idea where she might be at?" asked Defiance.  
  
Martin gave a negative response.  
  
"Well, let's go exploring," said Defiance. Martin took her hand and led her into the heart of the island. Their progress was slow.  
  
After an hour had passed and Defiance had narrowly missed being challenged to a few random duels, they began to grow frustrated.  
  
"How hard can it be to find someone on an island?" asked Defiance, exasperated. Martin looked at his shoes and said nothing.  
  
"It is late," he said, finally, to break the tense silence.  
  
"Let's camp, then," said Defiance, ready to call it quits. "We can find her tomorrow for my last duel, and then enter the castle. Wow! I never thought I'd make it so far." Defiance smiled for the first time since they started on the wild goose chase. Martin smiled at the prospect of more sleep.  
  
"Martin," said Defiance. He turned his head. "Do you see a good place to set up camp?" Martin scanned the area.  
  
He said No, then led Defiance to a place near a creek. It could have been the same creek they had guarded earlier. There was a tree growing by that creek with long exposed roots. Near the water was a sandbar that was hidden from view. Martin also knew how to keep a low profile.  
  
"This is perfect. Good job," said Defiance as they unrolled their blankets. They both fell asleep before they hit the ground.  
  
The next day Martin was woken up early by a sunrise reflecting off of the creek. He nudged Defiance. She twitched, turned over, and continued her dreams. He nudged her again and got no response.  
  
"Am I going to have to push her in the creek?" wondered Martin. But then she sat up and yawned.  
  
"What time is it?" she asked, her arms in the air because she was in the middle of a stretch.  
  
"A little after eight," replied Martin.  
  
"Well, let's have breakfast," suggested Defiance. They finished their food from the boat.  
  
"Now, let's go get ten star chips," said Defiance, smiling. Martin began to lead her again. They wandered around for about an hour, Martin had little sense of direction.  
  
"Martin, stop," said Defiance, "Let's take a break. My feet are killing me." Martin and her sat down beneath a tree. It was very peaceful where they were at. But that changed.  
  
"What do you think she's doing? Trying to get two people inside the castle or something?" asked someone who was approaching Defiance and Martin from behind.  
  
"I don't know, but she sure creamed you," replied the other person.  
  
"She's a cheater! I could have beaten her if she played fair!" exclaimed the first speaker.  
  
"Mai is a tournament champion. I doubt it," replied the second voice.  
  
"I'd like to show her a lesson," muttered the first person.  
  
"I'd like to see you try. She said she's heading towards the castle to find some stiffer competition, so go, show her what your made of," teased the second person.  
  
"Your not helping," said the first speaker. They walked out of hearing range.  
  
"Did you hear that Martin?" asked Defiance. "Mai is by the castle. Let's go." Martin got up and the two, together, walked towards the one landmark of the Duelist Kingdom.  
  
They approached a holo-field where they heard a cocky voice.  
  
"Grow up! You lost fair and square. Now hand over the star chips," said a female speaker.  
  
"But-But..." the other person trailed off. There was a pause, then the sound of footsteps walking away.  
  
"Amateur," the girl muttered. She wore spiked high heels and a short pair of jeans shorts. She had on a tiny pink tie-down tank top that was covered by a stylish denim jacket. She had haughty purple eyes and perfect crimped, pale pinkish blonde hair.  
  
"Excuse me," said Defiance to the girl, "We are looking for someone named Mai."  
  
"What do you want," she replied.  
  
"A duel of course," replied Defiance with a smile.  
  
"Who exactly are you?" she asked.  
  
"Today, people are calling me Defiance, Mai," Defiance responded putting two and two together. She liked having a name with a double meaning, but "Defiance" had grown old, and didn't seem to fit. Defiance was thinking of changing it again.  
  
"Fine, Defiance, you're on," said Mai, "I only need one more star chip and that's all I'm going to bet."  
  
"Fine by me, I only need one too," responded Defiance. She was a little disappointed she wouldn't be able to eliminate Mai. Martin was staring at Mai's dueling glove. It was full.  
  
"But you already have ten," he whispered shyly.  
  
"I need one more and I'll have twenty..." said Mai.  
  
"What do you need twenty for!?" exclaimed Defiance.  
  
"I owe someone, so I'm trying to repay the debt. Are you going to play or not," said Mai trying to change the topic. She held out her deck. Martin nudged Defiance and she got the idea. She pulled out her deck and began to shuffle Mai's.  
  
"What did you do to your cards?" asked Mai.  
  
"I made them readable," replied Defiance with a sigh.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Mai, giving Defiance the look over.  
  
"I'm blind, so I made them readable," responded Defiance. She didn't even bother to take off her sunglasses.  
  
Mai's eyes went wide, but she said nothing.  
  
"Well, a star chip is a star chip so let's get on with it," said Mai, taking her deck back and heading towards her platform.  
  
Defiance made it to her platform and the two duelists drew their cards.  
  
"You can go first," said Mai.  
  
"Then I play La Moon in attack mode," said Defiance. Her monster was summoned onto the field. She had short pink hair and a lilac dress that tied around her waist. She carried a spear by her side. Her stats were 1200 and 1700.  
  
"Then I play my Harpy Lady in attack mode," said Mai playing her card. The Harpy Lady had long wings instead of arms. Her dark violet hair flapped in the wind. She wore a strange, slightly revealing purple top. Her legs were bird's legs, covered in brown feathers.  
  
"And her stats are raised to 1600 and 1700 because the field is 75% mountain," continued Mai.  
  
"Harpy Lady destroy La Moon," ordered Mai. The Harpy Lady flew up and shredded La Moon with her talons. Defiance lost 400 life points.  
  
"I play this card face down in defense mode," countered Defiance. She placed her Water Element down. With an attack of 900 and a defense of 700, if Mai decided to attack her Water Element would lose. Defiance was hoping to bluff her into doing something stupid.  
  
Mai drew her card and didn't even lot at it. "I'm playing this magic card, Cyber Shield to boost up my Harpy Lady." Martin gasped. She didn't even see the face of her card.  
  
"What is it Martin?" asked Defiance.  
  
"He realizes I'm psychic. I can play this whole duel without looking at my cards," responded Mai.  
  
"Big deal," countered Defiance, "I play every duel without looking at my cards." Mai frowned at the lack of impact her revelation had on Defiance.  
  
"Fine, Harpy Lady destroy her defending card," said Mai. The Water Element was flipped over and disappeared in a blaze of glory. The Harpy Lady's stats were now 2100 and 2200.  
  
"I play the Queen of Autumn Leaves and power her attack up with the Rose Whip," said Defiance, laying her monster and magic card down. The Queen of Autumn Leaves had on a bright red dress that matched her bright red hair. Several autumn branched grew out of her back. He hands seemed to be covered by bark. Because of the Rose Whip her attack was 2100 and her defense was 1500.  
  
"Your move," said Defiance.  
  
"I play Harpy's Feather Duster," said Mai as she laid down a magic card. The Harpy's Feather Duster wiped the opponents magic card area clean.  
  
"That brings your Autumn Queen's attack power down to 1800," said Mai, "Harpy Lady finish it!" The Queen of Autumn Leaves also fell victim to the Harpy Lady's talons. Defiance was down to 1300.  
  
"I play Nekogal in defense mode," said Defiance as she played her Nekogal #2. It still wasn't quite strong enough to resist the Harpy Lady. Her stats were 1900 and 2000.  
  
"I play a magic card face down and I'll have my Harpy Lady destroy your Nekogal," declared Mai. The monsters clashed and the Nekogal lost.  
  
"I play Dark Witch, defense mode," declared Defiance as she played her next monster. "Where are all my good magic cards?" The Dark Witch also couldn't stand up to the super powered Harpy Lady because her stats were only 1800 and 1700.  
  
"Then I will use this magic card," said Mai taking it out of her hand, "It lets me multiply my Harpy Lady." The holo-field glowed strangely then two more Harpy Ladies appeared. Their stats were 1600 and 1700 because they were affect by the mountain, but not the Cyber Shield.  
  
"But I can't attack you now, so go," said Mai. Her tone indicated that she thought she already won.  
  
"I can't let her keep multiplying her monsters. I need something good now. Here goes nothing," thought Defiance as she drew her next card. It was Shadow Spell, a magic card.  
  
"I play a monster card and a magic card, both face down," said Defiance. "The Shadow Spell is good, but I need a stronger monster." She had laid her Lady of Faith, whose attack was 1100 and defense 800 down.  
  
"Harpy Ladies attack!" cried Mai and the Lady of Faith went down.  
  
"Your Neo-Nazi Feminists have been amusing, but I am about ready to finish you," taunted Mai. "My next turn I'll multiply them again and then you will have an unstoppable army on your hands."  
  
"Please be a strong card," said Defiance as she drew her next card.  
  
"Yes! I play Mystical Sand in attack mode," said Defiance. "I also use my magic card Shadow Spell to reduce one of your monsters stats by 1000. And I choose your first Harpy Lady." The Harpy Lady visibly grew more frail as her attack and defense dropped to 1100 and 1200.  
  
"Mystical Sand attack the lead harpy," ordered Defiance. The Mystical Sand pointed her finger to cast a spell and Mai lost 1000 life points. It was now Defiance with 1300 and Mai with 1000.  
  
"And without the original you can't make any more copies," finished Defiance.  
  
"Then I'll also use Follow Wind to raise one of their attack to 2100," said Mai as she chose the Harpy Lady on the right.  
  
"I'm playing my Rose Spectre of Dunn ," said Defiance as she laid down her monster card. The Rose Spectre strongly resembled the Arlownay except she had on a yellow halter top and around her waist was a huge red rose. From the rose down she was one long thorny vine, but from the rose up bloomed a green skinned woman. Her dark green hair came down to her shoulder blades. Her attack was 2000 and her defense was 1800.  
  
"I'll have my Rose Spectre of Dunn attack the weaker Harpy Lady. Go!" ordered Defiance.  
  
"Not so fast," said Mai, "Since my Harpy Lady is a winged beast she has an advantage over your land based monsters." The two monsters clashed and it was the Rose Spectre that lost. Defiance lost 100 life points.  
  
"Then my witch on a flying broomstick will finish the job. Mystical Sand attack the Harpy Lady," cried Defiance. This time, when the dust had cleared after the fight, Mai had lost her monster and 500 life points. The two remaining monsters were equal in attack, but Defiance was in the lead with life points; 1200 to 500.  
  
"How dare you destroy my harpies!" cried Mai. :I'll teach you. I play the magic card Just Desserts. It takes off 500 life points for every monster you have on the field." Defiance was now down to 700, not that much farther ahead of Mai.  
  
"Then I play a monster card face down in defense mode," declared Defiance as she laid down her Fairy of the Fountain.  
  
"Harpy Lady destroy," ordered Mai and the monster lost.  
  
"I need to do something to break this stalemate or the match will be called a draw. I need to win now," thought Defiance. She examined the card she just drew and smiled.  
  
"I use the Electro-Whip to power my Mystical Sand's attack up to 2600," said Defiance. "And I'll use her to eliminate your last Harpy Lady. Attack!" The Harpy Lady Went down with a shrill squawk and Defiance won the duel.  
  
"Well, good job kid," said Mai as she handed over her star chip. "I haven't been beaten much. But you did it. I guess I'll have to find some other punk to cream. Oh well, that's easy enough." Mai turned and walked away. "Good luck in the final round," She said with a note of sarcasm.  
  
"Wow! She not at all a spoiled brat like I've been hearing about. And she was actually a good sport. I guess I'd better learn not to believe everything I hear," thought Defiance as she heard Mai's footsteps vanish.  
  
"Hey Martin," said Defiance turning around, "On to the castle and the final round." She smiled broadly. Martin grinned back and began to lead her to the final round. 


	9. YuGi vs Kaiba

They began to mount the steps of the castle. Martin carefully led Defiance so she wouldn't fall. Suddenly he stopped walking and Defiance could feel his grip tighten.  
  
"What's wrong Martin?" asked Defiance, sensing his tension.  
  
"Seto Kaiba is in front of the door... and he looks..." murmured Martin.  
  
"Seto Kaiba! Is it the real one this time?" asked Defiance.  
  
Martin replied affirmatively.  
  
"What is he doing?" asked Defiance.  
  
"He looks like he's waiting for someone," replied Martin. Martin looked down at his shoes. He hated playing twenty questions.  
  
"Try and slip up there without him noticing us. I have to find out what's going on," said Defiance. Martin silently lead her up the stairs and they slipped into the shadows of the castle when Defiance heard footsteps.  
  
"Come on Yug," said a familiar voice.  
  
"Them again!" thought Defiance as Yu-Gi and his friends raced up the stairs.  
  
"Hey! There's someone up there."  
  
"Isn't that Kaiba?"  
  
"Yu-Gi, I've been waiting for you. You may have beaten me before but not now. I have learned much and before you enter the castle you will have a duel with me," said Kaiba when Yu-Gi, Joe, Tristan, Tea, and a newcomer had reached the top of the castle.  
  
"Kaiba versus Yu-Gi rematch! We are so sticking around," said Defiance.  
  
"But what about the final round?" asked Martin.  
  
"I'm still planning on dropping out soon, but I'm not that eager to leave the island, especially with action like this," thought Defiance, "This is more interesting."  
  
An argument was taking place between Seto, Yu-Gi, and his friends. Yu-Gi's friends didn't want him to duel since he already had ten star chips, but Seto seemed determined to duel. At last Yu-Gi agreed.  
  
"I have a place prepared," said Kaiba as he walked to the far side of the castle.  
  
"Come on Martin, let's follow them," suggested Defiance and the two shadows slipped in pace behind Tea.  
  
The place Seto Kaiba had chosen was a balcony on the edge of a high cliff that overlooked the forest.  
  
"We'll use my new invention to duel," said Kaiba. He wasn't suggesting it, he was ordering it. Kaiba opened the briefcase he had been carrying with him and produced what looked like two fat metal Frisbees.  
  
The disks had a place to clip you deck in and to place cards in play. Once the cards were secured the player would throw the disc like a Frisbee and it would land in front of them, producing holographic images that were a hundred times better then the holo-fields. The holo-disks also produced convincing sounds and smells. When the turn was over the duelist would pull the holo-disk back by a cord that connected the disk to the wrist.  
  
"It's time to duel, Kaiba," said Yu-Gi. Defiance heard it again. That deep, in control voice that Yu-Gi had when he dueled Seto Kaiba's impostor. She got a sudden chill as the duel began.  
  
Defiance leaned against the cool stone surface of the castle and cleared her head. The breeze slightly rippled her clothes.  
  
"There is a storm coming," thought Defiance as she smelled the air.  
  
The duel began without any moves that were exciting enough to snap Defiance out of her melancholy. Out of a window, just above Defiance looked a man. He had on dark sunglasses and an American bandanna. He had a baggy jeans and a black leather vest. He blond hair looked like it hadn't been washed in a couple of days.  
  
"Well, this should be amusing," he thought out-loud, also spying on the duel between Kaiba and Yu-Gi.  
  
Yu-Gi had just played a card that let him look at Kaiba's current hand.  
  
"Oh, no! He has a Blue Eyes!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Easy Joe, It isn't invisible," said the newcomer. He had platinum blond hair that seemed to go in whatever direction it wanted. He had on a neat white sweater and a pair of light green pants. Around his neck was what looked like a golden dream catcher. It had the same symbol in the middle as the upside down pyramid on Yu-Gi's neck.  
  
"You're right, Bakura! Yu-Gi can take it," said Joe.  
  
But to everyone's surprise Seto did not play his Blue Eyes White Dragon on the next turn, or the turn after that.  
  
"I play Saggi the Dark Clown in attack mode, and I also play a magic card," said Kaiba, smiling slightly.  
  
"I'll attack your Dark Clown with my Dark Magician," said Yu-Gi. The clown was destroyed, but Yu-Gi's holo-disk began to make a beeping noise.  
  
"What!?" cried Yu-Gi.  
  
"I combined my Dark Clown with the Crush Card, It infected your deck, making any card with an attack over 1500 unplayable," gloated Kaiba.  
  
"What!" came the surprised of the spectators.  
  
"Wow! Yu-Gi is in trouble," thought Defiance, But Seto still hasn't played his Blue Eyes. Kaiba is planning something but what? I remember reading something about this, but I can't remember what the article said. Dang it!" thought Defiance as she examined Kaiba's and Yu-Gi's strategies.  
  
"Yu-Gi you are good, I'll give you that," said Kaiba, "But you'll never be able to beat what I have next." A few more turns had passed.  
  
"I combined my three Blues Eyes White Dragons in a way that has never been done before," said Kaiba in a loud voice. The holo-disk blurred as the three dragons twisted and melted together.  
  
"I create the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" said Seto when the shifting had stopped. A silver metallic dragon was left. It look fierce. It had three heads that snapped and growled. It's tail whipped back and forth dangerously. Its attack was 4500!  
  
"The Gate Guardian on the Exodia level doesn't even compare with it. Wow! I think Yu-Gi is done for," thought Defiance, completely amazed. She wasn't the only one, judging by the comments coming from Yu-Gi's friends.  
  
The Blue Eye quickly cleared all of Yu-Gi's remaining monsters. Yu-Gi's only hope was in the next card he drew.  
  
"I have put my heart in the cards and they have rewarded me by giving me the monster that will beat you," said Yu-Gi when he looked at his card.  
  
"What are you talking about? No monster outside of Exodia can beat this dragon," replied Kaiba,.  
  
"I play Kuriboh in defense mode," declared Yu-Gi with a smile as he placed his card on the holo-disk and flung it.  
  
"What!"  
  
"Has he gone mad!"  
  
"What is Yu-Gi thinking?" exclaimed his friends.  
  
"You can't possibly hope to win with a Kuriboh! It is the weakest monster in all of Duel Monsters. I never even heard of a serious duelist carrying one in their deck!" exclaimed Kaiba. And he was right about it being the weakest. Its stats only were 300 and 200.  
  
"Yes, but I will combine it with this magic card, Multiply, to multiply it indefinitely," said Yu-Gi as he activated his magic card. Another Kuriboh appeared on the field. A couple of seconds later another appeared, then another! In under a minute there was an army of Kuribohs on Yu-Gi's half of the field.  
  
"Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon attack!" ordered Kaiba. The dragon launched a powerful beam at the Kuriboh army, but more appeared to take the place of those destroyed. Yu-Gi's life points remained untouched.  
  
"And now to deal with your Ultimate Dragon," said Yu-Gi on his next turn. "I play Mammoth Graveyard, Polymerization, and the Living Arrow card together. While Polymerization would let me combined any of my monsters together, the Living Arrow lets me combined it with any of your monsters, Kaiba," said Yu-Gi as he explained His complicated magic maneuver.  
  
"I am combining it with your Ultimate Dragon. But since your Dragon is a living creature I cannot fully combine it with my zombie, Mammoth Graveyard. So instead, your dragon will lose 1200 points each turn, equal with the Mammoth Graveyard's attack points. Soon your Ultimate Dragon will just be a decayed pile of goo," finished Yu-Gi.  
  
A flash of light shot towards Kaiba's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. An elephant's skull appeared in the middle of its chest, the rest or the skeleton poked out of its back. The Ultimate Dragon change color to a morbid brown and began to decay. Kaiba seemed completely shocked. He had a haunted look in his eye.  
  
"Ultimate Dragon attack," said Kaiba. The dragon took out a few Kuribohs, but did no damage. It was down to 3300 attack.  
  
Kaiba did the same on his next turn, getting desperate. His dragon was now at 1100 and looking bad.  
  
"I play Celtic Guardian in attack mode," said Yu-Gi for his next turn. An elf appeared on the field. It wore green cloth armor with a matching cape and hat. It had on cool face paint and wield its sword expertly. Its attack was 1200.  
  
"Celtic Guardian attack one of the Ultimate Dragon's heads," ordered Yu-Gi. Since the dragon was a fusion it would take two more turns to completely dispose of it. The Celtic Guardian sliced through it's neck like an overripe watermelon. The half dead head fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Their life points were now equal at 400.  
  
Kaiba looked shocked, no horrified. He seemed really afraid of something, He spaced out with a gaping expression on his face.  
  
"Way to go Yug!" said Joe.  
  
"You've got Kaiba on the ropes!" exclaimed Tristan.  
  
"Yu-Gi, I can't lose this duel or Pegasus will keep my brother prisoner, Yu- Gi, I'm going to force your hand," said Kaiba snapping out of his shock. He back up until he was standing on the very edge of the balcony. "You can destroy my Ultimate Dragon if you want, but the resulting shock waves might make me lose my balance, causing me to fall. While you think about that I play Reborn the Monster to resurrect my fallen Blue Eyes." A new dragon appeared in the middle of the decaying mess of the Ultimate Dragon. "You can win this duel at the risk of hurting me. But if you don't I'm going to take you down next turn!"  
  
"I wonder what he means about his brother. Hhhmmph! What a baby! Accept your loss and get on with it," thought Defiance. "Come on Yu-Gi! Call his bluff. At the worst he'll break a leg! It's not like you are going to kill him or something!"  
  
Defiance felt a strange breeze blow against her face, "Yes the maelstrom is coming. And it is going to be big."  
  
"Kaiba I've never back down before and I'm not going to stop now! Celtic Guardian attack!" order Yu-Gi.  
  
"See that wasn't so hard," thought Defiance, "It took you long enough to make up your mind though."  
  
"No! Yu-Gi! You can't do this!" cried Tea running to him.  
  
"STOP!" cried Yu-Gi, dropping to his knees. The Celtic Guardian stopped moments before striking. Defiance felt a powerful zephyr slap her in the face.  
  
"Too bad. Blue Eyes attack!" said Kaiba and the elf fell. Yu-Gi had lost the duel.  
  
"If he had done what needed to be done he would be entering the castle now, not me," said Kaiba as he walked away. The strange figure in the upstairs window vanished also.  
  
"Yu-Gi," said Tea, her voice full of concern. Yu-Gi hadn't moved. Tears were coming out of his eyes. He seemed to have snapped. His friends gathered around him, trying to comfort him, but he wouldn't move or say anything.  
  
"I suppose we could enter the castle now. But I'm not that eager to follow Seto," thought Defiance as she listened to the emotional display around her. "Better stay outside while I can, the storm is coming. An it is going to be big." She felt the strange breeze again. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.  
  
(If you remember the details of this episode please e-mail them to me.) 


	10. Girlie Duel

Yu-Gi's friends gathered around him and tried to comfort him. Joe even offered Yu-Gi his star chips so Yu-Gi could save his grandpa.  
  
"I wonder what is wrong with his grandpa?" thought Defiance as she eaves dropped. "It must be serious if Joe is willing to sacrifice so much." Despite their best efforts, Yu-Gi would not respond.  
  
Defiance stiffened as she heard footsteps approach. The clicking of high heels caught the attention of Yu-Gi's friends.  
  
"So if this is how you treat your friends I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies," the person said as she approached. Joe had picked up Yu-Gi by his collar and was trying to shake some sense into him.  
  
"Mai!" came the surprised response.  
  
"What happened?" Mai asked.  
  
"Yu-Gi just lost all his star chips to Kaiba in a duel," replied Joe.  
  
"So the little guy finally lost one?" said Mai, a bit surprised. "Well, Looks like I got here just in time. I too had lost all my star chips, and just when it seemed like hope was gone Yu-Gi came and saved them." Mai began to make a speech. Defiance sighed.  
  
"And now I am here to repay the favor," concluded Mai. She opened her hand to reveal ten star chips.  
  
"Mai owed Yu-Gi! Wow! I feel like I'm in some kind of Duel Monsters cult. All these famous duelist are on a first name basis with each other," thought Defiance, surprised and slightly concerned.  
  
"Wow! You're giving Yu-Gi your star chip?" asked Bakura.  
  
"I'm being nice not stupid," said Mai, holding up her dueling glove. It had ten star chips on it.  
  
"She has ten star chips of her own!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Come on Yu-Gi take them," said Mai, waving them under Yu-Gi's nose.  
  
"Go on Yu-Gi, take Mai's star chips," urged Joe.  
  
"Earth to Yu-Gi star chips at twelve'o'clock," said Mai, impatiently. Yu- Gi still hadn't moved.  
  
"Are my star chips not good enough for you? Fine I'll keep them. And your friends can wipe your nose straight back to the nursery," said Mai, completely losing her patience. Yu-Gi did not respond. Mai opened her mouth to say something again when Tea cut in.  
  
"I'll duel you for them," she said to Mai.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"That's right. I'll duel you for them. I'll duel you for Yu-Gi," said Tea.  
  
"An amateur like you can't possibly hope to beat me," responded Mai in an arrogant voice.  
  
"I don't care. I'll win those star chips because I am dueling for my friend," replied Tea.  
  
"Have it your way," said Mai, "Let's duel." The two left the steps of the castle and headed towards the nearest holo-field. Bakura and Joe were helping Yu-Gi, who was still lost inside his own head. They all were giving words of encouragement to Tea. Defiance and Martin crept behind them. They didn't fully leave the steps of the castle though. Defiance opted to sit on a stone outcropping at the end of the steps. It was well within hearing range, but not very noticeable.  
  
"You can go first," said Mai when they were both in position.  
  
"I play Petite Angel in attack mode," declared Tea. She laid down her card and a small pink ball with wings appeared. It was a fairly weak card.  
  
"Then I play Harpy Lady in attack mode. I also play this magic card face down," countered Mai as she played her cards. "Harpy Lady attack!" the Petite Angel tried to dodge the incoming talons of the harpy, but without success. The fairy was destroyed and Tea was down to 1300 life points.  
  
"I play Fairy's Gift in attack mode plus a magic card. Fairy's Gift attack her Harpy Lady," ordered Tea. Her friend murmured in approval. The Fairy's Gift was 200 points stronger than the Harpy Lady, but for some reason the harpy remained strong.  
  
"What's happening?" cried Tea.  
  
"My magic card was the Rose Whip, which makes my Harpy Lady stronger than your fairy. For my turn I will play another magic card face down. Now, Harpy Lady attack," said Mai and the Fairy's Gift fell. Tea was down to 1100 life points.  
  
"She played Harpy's Feather Duster," Defiance thought, "How do I know this? I feel like someone was just whispering in my ear. Weird."  
  
Tea hesitated a moment.  
  
"Just give up now. You don't stand a chance. Yu-Gi has already given up. Face it Tea, you are just a little girl who stumbled into the big league. Why don't you stick with cheerleading," taunted Mai.  
  
"I won't give up, Yu-Gi is counting on me," said Tea, emotions leaking out of her voice. "I play Shining Friendship in attack mode." A monster that looked like a blue Petite Angel appeared on the field.  
  
"Not another one of these cuties cards," groaned Mai.  
  
"Wait, I also power it up with the Silver Bow and Arrow, increasing its attack by 300," declared Tea.  
  
"Its not like I don't have magic card too. I use the Cyber Shield to further raise my Harpy Lady's stats," said Mai, "And I also play a De-Spell card. Sorry cupid, you've been de-accessorized." The bow and arrow disappeared from Tea's monster's hands.  
  
"And now Harpy Lady attack!" ordered Mai. The Harpy Lady flew in for the kill.  
  
"Not so fast. I play a trap card and now I remember what it does. I use Wabaku," said Tea as her Shining Friendship remained untouched.  
  
"Interesting, did she actually forget what her cards say? This is amusing, at least," thought Defiance.  
  
"I play this monster card face down," said Tea.  
  
"Then I'll attack it," countered Mai. The Magician of Faith disappeared with a flash of light. "See Tea, no more faith, no more hope, no more chances. Just give up now. You are just a scared little girl who bit off more than she could chew."  
  
"I maybe scared, but I'm not going to back down. My friends are worth it," said Tea, visibly shaking.  
  
"Save your speeches, I've heard them all already," said Mai annoyed.  
  
Tea didn't. She went into a long speech about how important her friends were.  
  
"Oh, brother! Cut the sap and duel! This is a tournament not a poetry reading," thought Defiance.  
  
"That was so moving Tea I feel the urge to throw up," said Mai sarcastically.  
  
Defiance smiled. "I kind of like Mai. She has a real interesting personality. And she is a real good duelist. I'm kind of glad I didn't eliminate her."  
  
"Don't let my tears fool you, Mai," continued Tea.  
  
"She's crying? Grow up! Gosh, that is pathetic," thought Defiance as Tea continued her speech.  
  
The Mai started her own speech. "You can't fight Yu-Gi's duels for him. HE needs to grow up, accept his losses, and move one. Who knows what's going on in his head right now. But he needs to snap out of it. He can't possibly hope to have his friends do all the work. He needs to learn that whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."  
  
"I won't let you talk about my friends that way," said Tea, picking up where she left off.  
  
"Are you going to duel or what?" interrupted Mai. "It's your turn you know. And since I flipped over your Magic of Faith you get a magic card back from the graveyard. How do you hope to win if you don't know the rules?"  
  
"Mai is definitely cool."  
  
"Then I'll retrieve my Silver Bow and Arrow and equip my Shining Friendship with it. Then I'll use the Elf's Light to power her up even more," said Tea playing her combo. "I also play a magic card face down." The powered up Shining Friendship changed from a cute ball to a beautiful fairy. She aimed her bow at the Harpy Lady.  
  
"My monster is still stronger. Harpy Lady attack!" ordered Mai. The Harpy Lady dive bombed the fairy.  
  
"Not so fast, Mai. Unless your harpy is immune to De-Spell," countered Tea, turning over her magic card. The Harpy Lady weakened, then lost to the fairy.  
  
"All right Tea!" screamed her friends. Mai was down to 1600 life points.  
  
Mai fingered her face down Harpy's Feather Duster.  
  
"If Mai plays her magic card she'll win," thought Defiance. "Where did I get an idea like that? And why do I feel like someone is whispering in my ear? The storm is definitely coming, and soon."  
  
"Well, you win Tea. My Harpy Lady is my strongest card. I don't have anything that could compete with that," said Mai as she jumped off her platform.  
  
"She threw the game!" thought Defiance, "Come on Martin, let's head up to the castle now." She extended her hand and they proceeded up the steps again.  
  
(If you remember the details of the episode please e-mail them to me.) 


	11. Kaiba vs Pegasus

They were almost to the top when Joe raced past her.  
  
"Last one to the gate is a rotten egg!" he called to his friends. The others raced to the castle, right on his heels.  
  
"Oh, Hi Justice, Did you get ten star chips also?" asked Tea, noticing the two figures.  
  
"Justice? She said her name was Defiance," said Mai.  
  
"No, Tempest," replied Defiance.  
  
"What did you say?" asked Bakura.  
  
"My name is Tempest. The storm is coming," replied Defiance, changing her name once more.  
  
"Why are you changing your name?" asked Joe.  
  
"Don't ask," responded Tempest in a dry voice.  
  
"Did she say there's a storm coming? Because there isn't a cloud in the sky," commented Tristan.  
  
"There is a storm coming. And it is going to be big," replied Tempest, feeling that strange breeze again.  
  
"Come on," complained Mai, "Are we going to sit around outside the castle all day, or go in?"  
  
"Let's go!" shouted Tea. The now quite large group approached the gate of the castle.  
  
"Hey! Where do you kids think you are going?" asked the guard by the door.  
  
"Inside of course," replied Yu-Gi in a calm voice.  
  
"No way! There is no way you punks got ten star chips," argued the guard.  
  
"Guess again," said Joe, stepping forward with his dueling glove up. Mai and Yu-Gi did the same. Tempest slipped hers silently onto her hand.  
  
"Fine! Just put the star chips in their place and turn the knob," said the guard in a resentful tone. The finalists did that. Then Tea, Tristan, Bakura, and Martin stepped forward.  
  
"No Way! You aren't even part of the tournament. You can't enter," said the guard. He seemed determined to keep someone out. Martin looked away and Tempest got scared. She bit her lip. She hadn't thought about what would happen if Martin wasn't there.  
  
"But we are the cheerleaders," argued Tea.  
  
"No way! You are not entering and that is final," persisted the guard.  
  
"You won't let them in, even for me?" said Mai in a flirty voice. The guard whipped his head around to face her.  
  
"No! They are not going in," yelled the guard. Mai winked at the guard. Actually, she was winking at the four on the outside. They got the hint and raced past the guard. Before the guard could stop them everyone was inside and Joe and Yu-Gi had slammed the door shut.  
  
"That was some fast thinking, Mai," said Tristan, when they were all inside. The guard pounded futilely on the door. But the group ignored his commands. Martin and Tempest were smiling ear to ear.  
  
"Mai, I think I owe you one," said Tempest as she clutched Martin's shoulders.  
  
"It's nothing," she replied as she walked deeper into the castle.  
  
"No It was something. And I'm really glad I didn't eliminate you. I want to somehow show my appreciation. I figure something out. Wow! I never felt that way before," thought Tempest as they walked into the castle.  
  
After a few turns the new arrivals made it to the place they were supposed to be. One finalist was already there. His name was Bandit Keith. He had on dirty jeans, an American bandanna, a black leather vest, and dark sunglasses. He was also the one spying on Yu-Gi and Seto Kaiba earlier.  
  
"Hey, Isn't that Bandit Keith?" commented someone.  
  
"That creep! When I get my hands on him he'll pay for locking us in that labyrinth," said Joe through gritted teeth.  
  
"So you finally got here," smirked Bandit Keith. He was leaning against a railing, looking down at a stadium below.  
  
"No thanks to you!" yelled Joe. He almost charged Bandit Keith, who was also the champion of several tournaments. Tristan caught Joe just in time.  
  
"Wow! All these professionals know each other. I fell so out of place," thought Tempest as she shifted her backpack from one shoulder to another.  
  
"You!" said Bandit Keith in a loud voice when he noticed the blind girl.  
  
"Hhhm?" murmured Tempest as she turned her attention to him and snapped out of her thoughts.  
  
"You're the freak who slapped me when we got here," accused Bandit Keith, his anger rising.  
  
"You deserved it," said Tempest as her and Martin brushed past him. They found an open spot on the railing to find out what was going on below.  
  
"What's going on here?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"Pegasus promised the finalists a little entertainment," smirked Bandit Keith. Maximilian Pegasus was standing on one side of the walkway below. Two guards were with him. Out of a door on the other end of the walkway stepped Seto Kaiba!  
  
"Kaiba's going to duel Pegasus!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Great to see you Kaiba, my boy," crooned Pegasus.  
  
"I played your game, you'd better keep your end of the bargain," said Seto angrily.  
  
"You aren't still mad about me taking your brother and taking over your company are you?" said Pegasus, taunting Seto.  
  
"Industrial Illusions is trying to take over Kaiba Corp.? Where have I been?" wondered Tempest.  
  
"Fine, you past the test. Now you can duel me for your brother," said Pegasus.  
  
"Fine, We'll play using my new invention," retorted Seto. He opened his briefcase and threw one of the holo-disks at Pegasus. It hit him hard in the stomach.  
  
"What is this?" asked Pegasus in a perplexed voice.  
  
"It's a new way to play Duel Monsters," answered Kaiba.  
  
"But I don't know how to use this?" said Pegasus, awkwardly holding the holo-disk. Tempest could pick up the mocking tone in his voice.  
  
"Do I roll it on the ground or throw it or what?" teased Pegasus as he deliberately dropped the holo-disk. The guards started to laugh.  
  
"Enough!" cried Kaiba.  
  
"If we are going to use your invention then I get to decide someone to use it for me," argued Pegasus. He snapped his fingers and a third guard appeared. Handcuffed to him was a small boy with a zombie like expression. The boy was Mokuba Kaiba.  
  
"What game are you playing?" asked Seto, his voice cracking.  
  
"Simple, we use your invention if he (points to Mokuba) uses it," said Pegasus. He had Seto trapped.  
  
Tempest heard Martin gasp.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"They literally have Mokuba prisoner," replied Martin who was beginning to grow afraid.  
  
"Pegasus stole Mokuba's soul. No wonder Kaiba went to any lengths to beat me," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"He's in the same shape as your grandpa," commented Joe.  
  
"Pegasus kidnapped Mokuba Kaiba and Yu-Gi's grandpa!? Shouldn't someone call the cops or something?" said Tempest completely blown away by the new revelation. No one responded to her though.  
  
For the first time Kaiba looked at the spectators. "Yu-Gi!" he exclaimed, "I should have known you'd find away in." He turned his attention back to Pegasus.  
  
"So what will it be Kaiba?" asked Pegasus.  
  
"Fine, we won't use them," said Kaiba. The depression in his voice was painfully obvious.  
  
"What is he thinking? How hard can it be for these people to call someone's bluff?" thought Tempest.  
  
"I can't believe Kaiba did that! That was his edge! Now he has to rely on the heart of the cards to win. And he hasn't quite learned to do that," said Yu-Gi. A large holo-field was being lowered onto the walkway.  
  
"Heart of the cards? I knew it! I've stumbled into some kind of Duel Monsters cult. If I wasn't about to witness a battle between the Duel Monsters champion and the Duel Monsters creator I would seriously consider withdrawing now," thought Tempest as her grip tightened around the railing. The two duelist took their places and the duel began.  
  
Seto Kaiba opened the duel by playing the Rude Kaiser in attack mode. It was a reptilian warrior with a large battle ax. It had on a white shirt that was in ribbons. It beat Pegasus's first monster, but then Pegasus played the Parrot Dragon who stale-mated the Rude Kaiser. Pegasus had a sadistic smirk and a cocky attitude that drove Tempest up the wall.  
  
"He's too confident. He knows to much. There is something about that fact that worries me. But what is it? The storm is about to break. I can feel strange powers coming together. The storm is going to be big," thought Tempest with a shiver.  
  
The next turn Pegasus used his Dark Rabbit in combination with a magic card, Dark Energy, to make it stronger. Kaiba got a frustrated look in his eye, choose his next card, and was about to play it when Pegasus interrupted him.  
  
"Care to play a game?" asked Pegasus.  
  
"We are playing a game," said Kaiba through gritted teeth  
  
"A few turns back I played a magic card which I am going to use now. It is called Prophecy and it lets me guess if your card's attack power is less than or greater than 2000. If I am right your card is mine for the rest of the duel," explained Pegasus. "And I'm getting a vision. It is greater than 2000." Seto's face fell. "But that is not all. I see blue, I see white. Could it be? The Blue Eyes White Dragon."  
  
"Take it," said Seto. Tempest could hear the malice in his voice.  
  
"How did Pegasus know that?" the spectators asked each other.  
  
"It's that Millennial Eye he has. It changes everything. Kaiba has to learn to put his heart in the cards," said Yu-Gi. It seemed that Tempest was the only one who heard him.  
  
"What is a Millennial Eye?" she wondered, "And what is all this 'heart of the cards' stuff. They aren't alive. They don't have organs. I know I've fallen into some strange cult."  
  
The duel progressed poorly for Kaiba. Pegasus even managed to stop Kaiba from infecting his deck with the Crush card. Now he had two cards in defense mode and Pegasus had his powered up Dark Rabbit. It was Pegasus's turn.  
  
"Do you like cartoons?" asked Pegasus out of the blue.  
  
"What are you talking about?" replied Seto.  
  
"I love cartoons. I used to watch them all the time after school. Their playful antics would keep me laughing for hours," said Pegasus and he began to get into a nostalgic speech about his favorite cartoon show.  
  
"He is insane! He's just twisted and demented! I really think I should back out now," thought Tempest as Pegasus kept reminiscing.  
  
"Enough! Just play the game," cried Seto.  
  
"But you should have been listening. I play the magic card Toon World. And I use it to raise the stats of my Dark Rabbit," said Pegasus. A large story book appeared on the field and sucked the Dark Rabbit in.  
  
"How can I attack it?" Kaiba wondered out-loud.  
  
"You just have to wait for it to come out and play," said Pegasus with a smile.  
  
"I'll prepare for the worst. I play a magic card," said Kaiba and it was Pegasus's turn again.  
  
"Well, Kaiba it has been fun but I'm about to end this. I'll beat you with your own card," said Pegasus as he played the Blue Eyes White Dragon card.  
  
"But I will have it enter Toon World for a new twist," continued Pegasus. The dragon was sucked into the story book and came out a forth of its original size. It squirmed around the field and made strange growling noises. Its stats remained the same at 3000 and 2500.  
  
"I have created the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon," announced Pegasus proudly.  
  
"You stripped it of its pride," said Kaiba horrified.  
  
"I put it in its ultimate form. Now it has all the characteristics of the lovable cartoon characters," said Pegasus, his hands clasped together. He made another comment about how he knew all of Kaiba's moves before he played them. Then he had the toon dragon eliminate the Rude Kaiser.  
  
"How does Pegasus know that?" asked Mai.  
  
"Maybe he has the room full of hidden video cameras or something," suggested Joe.  
  
"It is that Millennial Eye he has," answered Yu-Gi.  
  
"Why do I believe Yu-Gi more? His explanation doesn't make any sense. Why do I feel like there is a tide of strange powers being tugged around? Maybe the storm will be an electrical one too? But why don't I believe that either? There is something going on here! I just wish I could see what! Something BIG is going to happen. I know it. But I don't know how I know. This is all very confusing," thought Tempest as she half listened as the duel progressed. "The kids at the Group Home are going to be jealous when they find out about this."  
  
"I don't know how you are seeing my cards," said Kaiba throwing his hand down, "But if I can't see them you can't see them." He picked up the top card off of his deck. "I play...." he slammed the card down and the monster appeared on the field.  
  
"The Blue Eyes White Dragon! No way!" someone exclaimed.  
  
"Kaiba put his heart in the cards and they rewarded him. He is beginning to learn. I only hope it is not too late," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"More cult stuff," thought Tempest.  
  
"Blue Eyes attack!" ordered Kaiba. The Blue Eyes White Dragon attacked its silly counterpart, but the toon dragon dodged it.  
  
"That wouldn't have been possible without the holo-field," thought Tempest, "I kind of like the traditional, predictable way better. A table top. That is all you need. These holographic projectors are absurd!"  
  
"You should have listened," scolded Pegasus, "In all the episodes I watched, never once did the bad guy lay a paw on the good guy. And now my toons possess the same qualities. You cannot pin them down! And I'll use a magic card, Shire Palace, to raise the attack of my toon dragon by 500. Toon dragon attack the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"  
  
"Not quite," said Kaiba, "I played a magic card a few turns back. And now I activate Negate Attack. It reduces your attack to 0." The Blue Eyes White Dragon remained unharmed. "Then I'll use Shadow Spell to reduce the attack points of your toon dragon. The Shadow Spell also paralyzes your monster, making it possible for my blue eyes to destroy it. Blue eyes attack!" The Blue Eyes Toon Dragon was destroyed.  
  
"You know after all Kaiba has put us through I'm still cheering for him," commented Joe.  
  
"He is just dueling for a loved one. He should be encouraged," replied Bakura.  
  
"How dare you destroy a free spirit!" cried Pegasus outraged, "I play the Dragon Capture Jar." The Dragon Capture Jar imprisons dragon types and makes them unplayable for the rest of the game.  
  
"That makes two dragons and a brother I've stolen from you, Kaiba," taunted Pegasus. "And I also play the Dragon Piper in defense mode and a magic card." The Dragon Piper looked like a jar with a flute.  
  
"You know what that means," said Joe.  
  
"Yeah, Pegasus is planning on resurrecting that blue eyes under his power," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"And when I do," said Pegasus, joining in on the conversation, "It will enter Toon World and I will have another Blue Eyes Toon Dragon."  
  
"I can't let that happen," said Seto. "I play Sword Stalker in attack mode. Sword Stalker attack the Dragon Piper!"  
  
"Not so fast, the magic card I played was Doppleganger. It lets me copy any magic card used. And I chose the Crush Card and infect my Dragon Piper," said Pegasus.  
  
"No!" cried Seto.  
  
"It's to late to call off the attack!" exclaimed Yu-Gi  
  
"Why? You had no problem calling off your Celtic Guardian. These holo- fields definitely make the game more interesting," thought Tempest. The Dragon Piper was destroyed but Kaiba couldn't play any cards with an attack over 1500.  
  
"No, my monsters! They're useless," cried Seto in despair.  
  
"That is what happens when you have only powerful monster cards," gloated Pegasus. Kaiba did the only move left to him.  
  
"I play Reborn the Monster and resurrect Saggi the Dark Clown," said Kaiba, his voice was low.  
  
"I play Bickerinbox and eliminate him," countered Pegasus as the two monsters clashed. The dark clown lost. "And without any monster cards you automatically lose."  
  
"I've never heard of anyone losing that way before," thought Tempest.  
  
"I'm sorry little brother, I have failed you," whispered Kaiba, his heart broken. Tempest was probably the only one who heard his apology though.  
  
"But you have lost more than the duel," said Pegasus, "You have forfeit your own soul!" Pegasus pulled back his hair, uncovering his left eye. It wasn't an eye though. A golden symbol, the same one on the necklaces Bakura and Yu-Gi wore had replaced Pegasus's real eye. A flash of light shot out of the metallic eye. For a second Tempest could feel the presence of everyone around her; Martin, Yu-Gi and his friends, Mai, Bandit Keith, even Pegasus and his guards. She could feel Seto Kaiba also. But then he just disappeared. The light was gone and everyone who had sight to protect removed their hands from their eyes. Seto Kaiba had the same zombie like expression that his brother had.  
  
"Take this useless shell away," ordered Pegasus to his guards. He indicated to the spaced out Seto. "He can wash dishes or something."  
  
Tempest felt another surge of power.  
  
"Pegasus this has got to stop! You cannot continue to toy with our friends and families! This will end now!" yelled Yu-Gi. Tempest noticed his voice had changed, again.  
  
"If you can beat me in a duel," smirked Pegasus, "But first you have to earn the privilege to duel me."  
  
Tempest heard thunder. The storm had finally broken. The final round had begun.  
  
(If you remember the details of this episode please e-mail them to me.) 


	12. Storm

(OK, after the responses have been tallied, all three of them, you want me to continue, so I am. Here is my prediction about what is going to happen in season 2 of Yu-Gi-Oh! Adding of course, my own twists. When the next episodes are aired this will become an alternate ending and I will be writing it again with an ending based on the newer episodes. So read and pleases review.)  
  
Moonlady: The meeting of the Penguin Opposition Force will now come to order.  
  
Lady Akhana: Since when are you a judge?  
  
Moonlady: I just always wanted to say that.  
  
Gema J. Gall: Is there any new business?  
  
Star: Yeah, my sources say that the penguins are getting stronger. They are on the verge of launching an all out war!  
  
Lady Akhana: What!?  
  
Star: It's true!  
  
Moonlady: What are we going to do?  
  
Gema J. Gall: We need more people! We are too few to stop this! We need help and more mustard.  
  
Moonlady: But who can we trust? The penguins have spies everywhere.  
  
Star: But it is a good idea.  
  
Lady Akhana: Did anyone hear flapping?  
  
Gema J. Gall: Duck!  
  
Star: No! Penguins!  
  
Lady Akhana: Sorry, false alarm. It was a fan.  
  
Moonlady: Don't scare me like that.  
  
Gema J. Gall: Back to business, were are we going to find helpers?  
  
Star: How about here?  
  
Lady Akhana: You mean other writers?  
  
Moonlady: Great idea! Penguins are illiterate!  
  
Star: But will they believe us?  
  
Lady Akhana: Why don't we ask?  
  
Gema J. Gall: OK, how about it? All you reading this, do you know anything about the penguins? Are you willing to spread mustard and put a stop to their invasion?  
  
Lady Akhana: We need help!  
  
Moonlady: Anyways, please just send an e-mail to princess8light@yahoo.com, or just tell us in your review, that you want to stop the penguins.  
  
Star: My sources will check your background, but since you can read, you are penguin-free.  
  
Gema J. Gall: And watch for updates from the Penguin Opposition Force in this story.  
  
Lady Akhana: And I cannot stress enough consuming mustard, it is your best defense against the penguins.  
  
Moonlady: We have to call this meeting to a close, before the penguins find us.  
  
Lady Akhana: Agreed.  
  
Star: Quick, I have those little packets of mustard they sell for picnics. Enough for everyone.  
  
Gema J. Gall: Yay! We will be safe for the next month.  
  
Lady Akhana: The meeting is at my house next month. I'll be bringing stadium mustard.  
  
Moonlady: And no ketchup!  
  
Gema J. Gall: I will be loading my brother's paint ball gun with mustard capsules. I might have found the ultimate weapon!  
  
Star: Tell me if it works! I might get one for myself.  
  
Gema J. Gall: Sure!  
  
Lady Akhana: We need to go, I really hear flapping now!  
  
Moonlady: Run for it!  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Before the final rounds begin, I would like to extend my hospitality to those few duelists who made it this far," said Pegasus.  
  
"I don't trust him," muttered Joe. Yu-Gi gave Pegasus a look that could have severed steel.  
  
"Croquet, escort our contests to the next room," gestured Pegasus, before turned and left.  
  
"That rotten, vile, cowardly....." cursed Tristan with a clenched fist. The guard stepped forward and began to usher the duelists into a side room. It was a large party room with big windows and the guests could see the sky had turned dark and sheets of rain were pelting the castle.  
  
"Compliments of Mr.Pegasus as you wait for the last few finalists," said the guard as they entered the room. There was a large table, set up buffet style. It was load with all kinds of food that normal drain a wallet. The contestants looked at it with shock.  
  
"So, he toys with our friends, but tries to be nice to us. What game is he playing?" asked Bakura.  
  
"Hey, food is food," said Bandit Keith. He had stepped forward and was filling his plate three inches over.  
  
"I don't know if I like this," said Tea, her eyes filled with apprehension.  
  
"If Bandit Keith doesn't drop over dead within the next five minutes, the food is probably not poisoned," said Mai.  
  
"Pegasus..." muttered Yu-Gi through gritted teeth. Tempest noticed his voice was back to the way it had been when she first met him.  
  
"What is the matter with you? Too afraid to eat?" taunted Bandit Keith as he sat down, his plate now half empty.  
  
"I am not afraid of anything!" yelled Joe and he walked over and filled up a plate.  
  
"Not afraid! You act just like a little Chihuahua," teased Bandit Keith.  
  
"Take that back!" yelled Joe.  
  
"Cool it," cautioned Tristan. He walked over and put a hand on Joe's shoulder. This put him in line with the buffet. "Hey, this stuff looks pretty good." He began to fill a plate.  
  
"Is that a good idea?" asked Tea. "EEK!" she exclaimed as a large bolt of thunder made the lights blink.  
  
"Well it does look tempting," commented Bakura as he walked to the buffet. Soon Tea and Mai had joined him. The only ones still standing by the door were Martin, Tempest, and Yu-Gi.  
  
Martin tugged on Tempest's hand. "OK, if you want to eat, go ahead," she urged. Martin went to the buffet and Tempest took a seat in the corner. After being tormented by the tantalizing smells from the buffet she too gave in and took a small plate. But her stomach was still turned inside- out from the last duel and she hardly ate. Yu-Gi did the same thing.  
  
Tempest opted to save her meal in her backpack for later. She slipped it into the plastic bag which contained the food she had consumed on the island. Her hands brushed the gift Luther had given her. She smiled as she felt the cool metal and traced the intricate pattern near the top, by the one join it had.  
  
"Why are you two eating alone? Come and sit with us," urged Tea when she noticed the two orphans eating in silence.  
  
"We're OK," said Tempest. "Why, when someone sits alone, do people feel the need to include them? They never seem to talk the loner once they sit down with them. And maybe some people just like being alone, or maybe they like it quiet, where they can listen to the rain."  
  
"No, we want you over here," said Bakura, siding with Tea. Not wanting to make a scene Tempest and Martin complied.  
  
"When I get my hands on Pegasus...." muttered Joe.  
  
"Is he still going on about that?" asked Tristan.  
  
"I just can't believe that creep! He has completely destroyed two families, then acts like we are at a social gathering!" argued Joe, making a growling noise.  
  
"Looks like the little Chihuahua is back," chuckled Tristan.  
  
"Take that back!" demanded Joe.  
  
"Be nice," said Tea, "After all we have visitors." Tempest and Martin bent their heads down.  
  
"So, where are you from?" asked Bakura, trying to make small talk.  
  
"Patmos Town," answered Tempest.  
  
"Isn't that a few miles north of Domino City?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Tristan.  
  
"Is that were you are from?" asked Tempest.  
  
"Yes," said Tea.  
  
"So what is your family like? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" asked Joe. Tempest visibly tensed. "What? Did I ask the wrong question?" Tempest nodded.  
  
"You said you wanted a vacation, but your family can't be that bad," stated Yu-Gi.  
  
"It is not what you think," replied Tempest. "I never should have sat down here."  
  
"Then what is it, Just-er...Tempest?" asked Tristan.  
  
"Why did you change your name?" asked Joe, "I mean, do you not like your real name or something?" Tempest gripped the table tighter. Another thunderbolt shook the room.  
  
Tempest said nothing.  
  
"Come on, it cant be that bad," said Joe. Tempest's mouth tightened into a thin, hard line and she turned to face him. She was mad at his persistence.  
  
"My family dumped me at some orphanage the minute they found out I was blind and have had nothing to do with me since," she said, her voice had the consistency of sharpened steel. "All they wanted was a perfect child, and I was a mistake. They have their perfect children now, two perfect brats. They probably have forgotten I even exist." Joe and his friends all had equal shocked expressions on their face.  
  
"Um, sorry I asked," Joe tried to apologize. Tempest turned her head away.  
  
"But you really don't believe you are a mistake?" asked Yu-Gi. Tempest turned to face him.  
  
"No, but that is what my biological family sees me as," she replied. The storm picked up and it began to sound like someone was dumping buckets of water on the castle. "Why can't we talk about the weather, like normal people. The weather doesn't cause these kinds of problems."  
  
"Attention please," announced one of the guards. "The last few finalists have made it." The guard ushered two other people in. "The preliminaries are officially over and anyone without ten star chips have been deported."  
  
"Did anyone else suddenly get the feeling that we would be living out Agatha Christi's book Ten Little Indians?" wondered Tempest.  
  
(AN: Not mine! FYI: In that book the people are trapped on an island and are killed one by one.)  
  
The first person to walk in was wearing a tattered blue vest and old blue jeans. He was completely drenched, from his messy dark brown hair to his ratty sneakers. The person behind him, also completely drenched, was Collin!  
  
"You made it, Mako!" said Yu-Gi as he noticed the first finalist.  
  
"Yes, and somehow I knew I'd find you here," Mako replied as he sat down next to Yu-Gi.  
  
"Hello, Defiance, I'm not at all surprised you made it," said Collin as he sat down.  
  
"I should have known you'd be here also," said Tempest, "But my name is Tempest now."  
  
"OK, whatever, Tempest," said Collin, giving her a weird look, "There is definitely a tempest outside."  
  
"Attention finalists," said the guard when everyone was seated with their food. Bandit Keith was on his fourth and Joe wasn't far behind as he polished off his third. "In a short while the final rounds will begin. If you are successful there, you will have the opportunity to duel Mr.Pegasus for the grand prize. In the final round you will each face some of the top duelers who were hired by Mr.Pegasus for the soul purpose of eliminating you. If you beat your eliminator, you duel Mr.Pegasus, simple enough."  
  
The eliminators walked in. The first was built like a line-backer, but he wore solid black. The next person had a bright red cape and a Mardi Gras mask on. Behind him were two people who had to be twins. They were both bald and had on matching orange outfits, with a weird symbol tattooed on their foreheads. Next came a man who was completely decked out like a cowboy; spurs, hat, holster....the whole nine yards. Then came a woman who had to be an acrobat. She wore a nylon neon jumpsuit and had her light brown hair tied back. Last was a man in a sombrero and poncho. He kept the sombrero down, keeping his face in shadows.  
  
"What are they wearing?" muttered Mai from a nearby table.  
  
"I've got it! I know how I can repay Mai for helping get Martin into the castle!" thought Tempest eagerly has she reached into her backpack.  
  
"Names will be drawn at the conclusion of this meal to determine who you will be facing off against," said the guard as he left. The eliminators helped themselves to the buffet before sitting as far away as they could from the finalists.  
  
"Hey, Tea, why don't you invite them to join us?" teased Joe.  
  
"Grow up," she shot back. Another bolt of thunder shook the whole island. Then the lights went out. There was a brief second of panic and hysterical screaming.  
  
"I don't get what the big deal is," muttered Tempest. The lights went back on and people resumed their meal.  
  
"The names have been drawn," said the guard, "The first round will begin in the next room. The holo-field has been prepared. This way." The guard lead everyone to the next room.  
  
Through a door in the back corner of the party room a dark figure with a zombie like expression was making circular motions with the dishes as he cleaned them. He didn't even bother to take of his long, navy blue trench coat.  
  
Meanwhile, in his private dining room.....  
  
"Croquet, why didn't Panic report in?" asked Pegasus.  
  
"We don't know, Mr.Pegasus. He seemed to have disappeared after a nighttime duel with Yu-Gi Motou," replied the guard.  
  
"So, Yu-Gi has interfered again," said Pegasus, "He will get what is coming to him. I have plans for the young Yu-Gi." He smiled sinisterly and his Millennial Eye glittered slightly beneath his hair. 


	13. Fall of the Dragons

As they left the room, Tempest hung back. As Mai passed Tempest grabbed her arm.  
  
"You remember what I said outside the castle about owing you one?" asked Tempest.  
  
"Yeah, but it was nothing," said Mai as she tried to walk away.  
  
"No, I am serious. I owe you for helping get Martin in here, and I seriously want to pay you back," I insisted.  
  
"What do you have in mind?" asked Mai, still not sure if she should except or not.  
  
"This," said Tempest as she produced two Duel Monsters cards, the ones she had taken out of her backpack earlier. Flipping them over they were revealed to be Harpy's Pet Dragon and Harpy Lady Sisters. "I want you to have them."  
  
"I can't except them," replied Mai.  
  
"I insist, you have no idea how much that meant to me," insisted Tempest. Seeing that she wasn't going to get away Mai had an idea.  
  
"I don't want to take any of them, after all I didn't do that much," said Mai, "But seeing how you are insisting, I will accept the Harpy's Pet Dragon. You should keep the Harpy Lady Sisters card and put it in your deck." She took one card out of Tempest's hand and walked away, catching up with the group.  
  
"By the way, thanks," she said turning around. Tempest smiled back. Martin came up beside her and they began to follow the crowd.  
  
The next room proved to be an arena, and nothing more. There was a holo- field and enough benches for everyone, but that was it.  
  
"The first round will be....," announced the guard who had led there. There was a sudden bolt of thunder that was so powerful it shook the walls. The lights flickered, then went out. Mild panic ensued.  
  
"Keep calm," insisted the guard as he turned on the flashlight he had been carrying. "Mr.Pegasus had planned that something like this might happen. The generator has overloaded. You will be escorted to a room and the final round will begin tomorrow morning." Several more guards entered the room and began to escort the duelists out.  
  
Tempest was separated from Martin as the men were led one way and the ladies another. She began to chew on her lip nervously. Luckily, Mai and Tea were helpful enough to keep her from tripping. They followed the small pool of light created by the single flashlight held by the guard. They were Tempest, Mai, Tea, and the female eliminator. Tea, trying to be friendly, was futilely trying to start a conversation with the last mentioned.  
  
"What's your name? I'm Tea," Tea introduced herself.  
  
"Kiana," came the reply, then Tea could not get another word out of her. Kiana was the first dropped off at her room, then Mai, then Tempest.  
  
Tempest was led into the room, the left there. She wasn't quite sure what to do. She began to slowly make her way around the room, feeling her way with her hands. First she felt a dresser, and on it was a few candles. Not needing them, Tempest blew them out. She found a wardrobe, the private bathroom, the bed and the window. As she touched the icy glass another thunderbolt ripped through the night. The glass vibrated beneath her sensitive finger tips.  
  
Tempest opened the drawers and wardrobe and found a meager amount of clothing. Not quite sure how everything would match, Tempest opted to use her own clothing. She carried her backpack into the bathroom and for the first time since the tournament had begun, began to actually feel clean.  
  
After that she sat on the bed and began to rummage through her pack, trying to fight her insomnia. She first found her deck and slipped the Harpy Lady Sisters card in it. Then she reorganized the rest of her cards, threw out the old food she had been carrying, and folded her clothes. Lastly she pulled out her boyfriend's gift and her Bible. She read a chapter, feeling more at peace when she closed it. Reaching over to the night stand she set her treasure, running her finger along the cold metallic surface before going to sleep.  
  
She was awoken the next day by a knock on her door. A guard announced breakfast will be in half an hour. Tempest struggled to her feet, and by remembering the room from the previous night, began to collect her things back into her backpack. After that she changed, brushed her teeth, and ran a brush through her hair a few times. The last action proved to be futile, because her hair had a mind of its own.  
  
Tempest pulled out her walking stick and left. Keeping on hand on the wall, and using her stick to guide her, Tempest made her way back through the hallways. The lights had been turned back on, but of course, she didn't notice this. After a few paces, she couldn't remember which way to turn. She guessed and began to go right.  
  
"Tempest, wait!" a female voice called from behind her, "You are going the wrong way."  
  
"Sorry," she muttered and turned around.  
  
"Let's go to breakfast together," suggested Tea and they began to walk. It was quiet.  
  
"You have something to ask me," said Tempest.  
  
"Well....yeah," said Tea, "I was.....just wondering how you went blind."  
  
"I was born blind," she replied in a monotone voice.  
  
"Oh," Tea replied simply. They had rounded a corner when a figure moving very quickly collided with them.  
  
"Watch were you are going!" the figure yelled. He looked down at the two girls.  
  
"Why don't you watched were you're going!" Tempest yelled back at Bandit Keith  
  
"What do we have here?" he asked, giving Tempest the once over. He noticed her dark sunglasses, her walking stick, and her hand on the wall. "Well, what do you know, you're blind," he chuckled. Tempest could feel her temper rise. "Ain't that cute....a blind duelist." He was practically doubled over with laughter.  
  
Tea stepped forward and was about to give him one of the speeches she was so good at when Tempest stepped forward. Her hands both tightened around her walking stick and she rammed the tip into Bandit Keith's stomach. This struck a nerve, and sent him to the ground.  
  
"Don't do anything else so stupid, or you will regret it," she said before brushing passed him.  
  
"Are you sure you should have done that?" asked Tea catching up. Tempest nodded and gave a sly smile.  
  
They entered the large dinning area. Joe and Tristan were already making pigs of themselves. Martin sat quietly in the corner, picking at a plate of food. Yu-Gi was with Tristan and Joe, but he still refused to touch Pegasus's food. Mako and Collin were in a conversation together. The eliminators had taken over a table and were excluding everyone. They were all almost finished, proving they had been here before the finalists. Tea and Tempest filled a plate and sat down. Tea immediately began to talk with her friends and Tempest and Martin ate in silence. Eventually Mai and Bandit Keith entered.  
  
As soon as everyone was finished with breakfast the guard appeared to make another announcement.  
  
"It is my honor to announce that the first two participants in the final round are Collin and Seeker," he said as he gestured to Collin and the guy in the Mardi Gras mask. Collin looked surprised. "This way," said the guard as he led them back to the arena. Their breakfast dishes were once again put in front of the zombie-like figure who cleaned them without a word.  
  
In a short time Collin and Seeker where in place and the duel began. The other finalists and eliminators watched from the side. Collin made the first move.  
  
"I play the Fairy Dragon in attack mode," he said as he played the card. It was a cute dragon with dark pink scales and delicate wings. Its attack was 1100 and defense was 1200.  
  
"I play this card in defense mode," said Seeker as he placed a monster card face down.  
  
"Then I will play Typhone," he said. Typhone was more of a head with a barrel-like snout than a dragon. It had two large red ears, and not much more. That means, that this was Typhone #2, not #1. Its stats were 1700 and 1900. "Typhone, attack the defending card." The dragon launched a cannonball out of its long mouth it collided with Seeker's defending card.  
  
This flipped his card over, revealing it as Wicked Mirror. It was a fairly weak card with only 700 attack and 600 defense. It looked like a little green lizard was trying to hide behind a gold trimmed mirror. Seeker was smiling.  
  
"By flipping over the Wicked Mirror, you have activated its effect. Your dragon is paralyzed and loses 300 attack points," gloated Seeker.  
  
The Typhone trembled, then sagged.  
  
"Fine," retorted Collin, "Fairy Dragon, destroy the mirror." The Fairy Dragon circled the weird monster and in a shower of bubbles, Seeker's monster was destroyed.  
  
"You have just made a fatal mistake," said Seeker, "Don't you know it is seven years bad luck to destroy a mirror?"  
  
"Only to superstitious penguin-possessed people," he replied.  
  
"We shall see," he said as he drew his next card. "I plat Fiend Refraction #2 and equip it with Follow Wind." The Fiend Refraction was an orange and yellow bird with two pairs of leather wings. A third eye was on its forehead and instead of its belly there was a large mirror. But this mirror didn't reflect light. It showed images of places that were far away. These images blurred and faded with no rhythm. Its stats were 1100 and 1400, but because of the magic card they were 1600 and 1900.  
  
"Fiend Refraction, attack the dragon," he ordered. An intense light shot out of the mirror and the Fairy Dragon disappeared. Collin lost 500 life points.  
  
"I play this card in defense mode, and a magic card," he said.  
  
"Then I play a magic card and will attack your defending monster," Seeker declared.  
  
"No you won't. I played Fake Trap, which I am activating now," said Collin and the defending card was left unharmed. "I now will play Yamadron in defense mode." Yamadron was a turquoise, three headed dragon. Its faces resembled skulls and it had thick, thick scales, like armor. Its attack was 1600 and defense was 1800.  
  
"Then I will play a card in defense mode also, but I won't give you the pleasure of knowing what card it is," said Seeker as he made his mode.  
  
"Come on Collin," thought Tempest, "I know your deck is better than this."  
  
"I play Hyozanryu in attack mode," he declared. A large dragon appeared beside his defending one. It was enormous. The two sky blue wings blocked the sky. It had a long neck and an orange throat. Its claws were yellow. Its entire hide was diamond hard. Its stats were 2100 and 2800. This card was another example of Collin's dueling skill. "Dragon attack!" The Fiend Refraction fell and Seeker lost 500 life points. They were now equal at 1500 each.  
  
"I will play a magic card and a monster in defense mode," said Seeker. Tempest could hear the strange calm in his voice. He had a plan.  
  
"Then I play Mikazukinoyaiba in attack mode," declared Collin. (AN: Dead serious, this is a card name.) A warrior dragon appeared with Collin's monsters. It was multicolored, like some kind of Mayan painting. It wielded a five foot blade that was shaped like the runner of a sleigh. Its one side was lined with wood, which was where the monster held it. This sword was used horizontally, not vertically. Its stats were 2200 and 2350. "I will also power it up with Dragon Treasure." Its attack was now 2700 and its defense was 2850.  
  
"Good job, Collin!" thought Tempest. The other finalists voiced their encouragement.  
  
"Mikazukinoyaiba attack one of his defending cards!" ordered Collin. The dragon charged, a whirlwind of scales and blades. It slashed through the square that represented one of Seeker's cards. There was a flash of light.  
  
"What happened?!" exclaimed Collin. Seeker's monster was unharmed and Collin's wasn't moving.  
  
"You attacked the Job-Changing Mirror," said Seeker. "That means that your attacking monster is mine to control until my turn ends."  
  
"No!" cried Collin.  
  
"Oh, yes," smiled Seeker. His new mirror card had hypnotized the Mikazukinoyaiba. The mirror had a Viking skull at the top and blood red trim. At the bottom were two skeleton hands. Its stats were 800 and 1300.  
  
"Fine! Yamadron, attack the Job-Changing Mirror!" ordered Collin. He switched his monster to attack mode.  
  
"No, he won't," said Seeker. "I played the trap card Vortex and now your dragon is paralyzed." Collin groaned in frustration. "How many more dragons do you want me to play with?"  
  
"Hyozanryu, destroy that mirror!" yelled Collin. The Job-Changing Mirror finally disappeared in a blaze of glory. They were still equal at 1500 life points each. Collin had his Hyozanryu and Yamadron, which was paralyzed, in attack mode. Seeker had Collin's Mikazukinoyaiba for this turn, plus a card face down in defense mode. He drew his next card.  
  
"You now have fourteen years of bad luck and I play Fiend Refraction #1 in attack mode," declared Seeker. A larger, green version of the Fiend Refraction #2 appeared on the field. Its stats were 1300 and 1400. "Then, I will destroy your Hyozanryu with your own Mikazukinoyaiba!" The monsters fought and Collin was down 600 more life points.  
  
"But, I am not done yet," said Seeker, "I will play a ritual card."  
  
"A ritual card?!" exclaimed Collin, and some of the spectators.  
  
"Yes, by sacrificing two monsters I can force a third monster to become a devine," he said.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Collin.  
  
"Watch," said Seeker smugly, "I will sacrifice my defending card and the dragon I control and send them to the graveyard, using the Beastly Mirror Ritual."  
  
"NO!" yelled Collin but his Mikazukinoyaiba was gone.  
  
"Then, the energy from there sacrifice is used in a dark ritual to change my Fiend Refraction into the Fiend's Mirror," finished Seeker. In the end a new reflecting monster was left on Seeker's half of the field. Its frame was incredibly intricate. Two bat like wings came from the top 'corners', considering it was a round mirror. There was a carving that resembled a skull at the bottom. Beneath that was pattern that resembled two crossed swords. Its attack was 2100 and defense was 1800.  
  
"Fiend's Mirror attack the Yamadron!" ordered Seeker and the dragon fell. Collin was down to 400 life points.  
  
"I play this card in defense mode," said Collin as he made his move. He was in trouble.  
  
"Destroy," said Seeker and it was done as easy as that.  
  
"Then I play my Black Dragon Jungle King in attack mode," said Collin. It was a stale-mate move. Their attacks were equal at 2100.  
  
"Then, to finish this duel, I will use Spell Binding Circle to weaken your beast. Fiend's Mirror, destroy!" ordered Seeker and Collin had lost.  
  
Almost before he had stepped off of the platform, two guards had escorted him out of the castle. Seeker disappeared shortly after that also.  
  
"Wow!" thought Tempest, "These eliminators are trouble. I barely beat Collin when I dueled him, and the eliminator made him look like an amateur. I might not win.....maybe I should just withdraw now...." 


	14. Bandit Keith's Folly

"The next duel will be Kiana and Bandit Keith," announced the guard.  
  
"Huh, What?" started Bandit Keith, but he quickly took his place. Kiana took her place on the platform opposite of him and the duel began. Bandit Keith went first.  
  
"Go, Kiana! Cream him!" shouted Joe.  
  
"You can beat him!" added Tea.  
  
"Shut-up!" yelled Bandit Keith.  
  
"Why don't you like him? I mean, besides the obvious," asked Tempest.  
  
"He locked us in an underground tunnel to die," said Tristan.  
  
"I only wish I was the one to finish him," said Joe.  
  
"I play Crawling Dragon in attack mode," announced Bandit Keith, which began the duel. Its stats were 1600 and 1400 The Crawling Dragon #2 was completely black and walked upright. Its belly was pale white, which completely contrasted the rest of the monster.  
  
"Then I play a card face down and a magic card," said Kiana.  
  
"Then I will play the Karbonala Warrior in attack mode and use it to destroy your defending card," said Bandit Keith. The Karbonala Warrior was a human monster with a long sword and violet armor. Its attack was 1500 and defense was 1200.  
  
"But I played the Acid Trap Hole last turn and that sends your warrior to the graveyard," she said.  
  
"Then I will destroy it with my Crawling Dragon," said Bandit Keith. He didn't seem the least fazed by losing a monster. The Crawling Dragon stepped forward and brought its tail down, on top of the glowing square which represented Kiana's defending card. There was a flash of light and Kiana's card was revealed to be the Aqua Madoor. It had a white mask and a blue and white jumpsuit on. Its spiky teal hair was erratic. Its attack was 1200 and its defense was 2000, which means it wasn't destroyed by the dragon.  
  
"And for my next turn I play Dream Clown in attack mode and I will use Shadow Spell to lower the stats of your Crawling Dragon," announce Kiana. The Dream Clown was a midget who rolled around on a ball that was as big as itself. It had a bright polkadot outfit on and its stats were 1200 and 900. "Dream Clown, attack the Crawling Dragon." The monsters collided and Bandit Keith came out 100 life points less.  
  
"Then I will play Misairuzane in attack mode," countered Bandit Keith. The Misairuzane was a fish type. It resembled a dolphin except it had an extra dorsal fin and was pale green. Strapped to its stomach was a small water cannon. Its attack was 1400 and its defense was 1600. "Destroy the Dream Clown!" A large blast of water came from the cannon and the clown was swept away. Kiana was down to 1800 life points.  
  
"Mysterious Puppeteer in attack mode," declared Kiana. "And I will power it up with Bright Castle." The Mysterious Puppeteer was dressed in a scarlet robe which eliminated any feature it had. It held a tiny marionette by the strings. Its stats were 1000 and 1500, but because of the magic card they were now 1500 and 2000.  
  
"Is anyone else cramping up?" she asked all of a sudden.  
  
"What?!" demanded Bandit Keith.  
  
"I just need to stretch," she said. She put her right leg on the table and pulled her face to her knee. Then she bent that leg behind her until she could touch the back of her head with the bottom of her foot.  
  
"She's a contortionist!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Just duel!" demanded Bandit Keith. Everyone who saw her performance was amazed. Well, everyone who could see was amazed.  
  
"Fine, puppeteer, destroy his monster," she said. Kiana then began to do the same stretches with her left leg. Bandit Keith and her had equal life points at 1800.  
  
"This is exactly what I want," muttered Bandit Keith. Tempest, with her acute hearing and close seat, was probably the only one who heard him though. "I play Call of the Haunted. It brings back any monsters in my graveyard as zombie types." Kiana looked surprised as she brought her left leg up to the side of her face.  
  
Down below on the holo-field the Karbonala Warrior, Misairuzane, and Crawling Dragon #2 came out of the ground as half-dead. But they were now Zombie Warrior at 1200 and 900, Corroding Shark with 1100 and 700, and Dragon Zombie at 1600 and 0.  
  
"Dragon Zombie attack the Mysterious Puppeteer," ordered Bandit Keith. The zombie breathed a putrid breath and Kiana's monster was no more. She was down 100 more life points, but she still had her Aqua Madoor in defense mode.  
  
"Then I will play Tao the Chanter in attack mode," she announced. Tao was wrapped in an orange cloth robe which disguised its figure. Its stats were 1200 and 900. "Tao, attack the Corroding Shark!" The shark reeled in pain, then began to disintegrate. But then it stopped and reformed.  
  
"What happened?" asked several people.  
  
"Call of the Haunted is still in effect," explained, well gloated Bandit Keith. "As long as you try to destroy one of my monsters they will keep coming back. And when they come back they will be stronger than ever before." The Corroding Shark's stats were now 1200 and 800.  
  
"And for my turn I play Pumking the King of the Ghost in attack mode," declared Bandit Keith as the final pieces of his strategy came into place. "With it I can raise the power of all my zombies each turn." The Pumking appeared on the field behind his other monsters. It was an extremely large jack-o-lantern with multiple vines snaking around it. It connected these vines to the back and neck of the other zombies. Now their stats were; Corroding Shark 1350 and 800, Zombie Warrior 1450 and 900, Dragon Zombie at 1850 and 0, and Pumking the King of the Ghosts at 1800 and 2000.  
  
"Dragon Zombie attack her chanter!" ordered Bandit Keith and Kiana was down to 1150 life points.  
  
"I play Spirit of the Harp in defense mode," announced Kiana. Her next monster appeared an the field with the stats of 800 and 2000. Kiana had a decent defense between her two cards, but the next turn Bandit Keith's monsters would get another power bonus.  
  
"I play the Temple of Skulls," declared Bandit Keith, "Normally this card would act like a normal monster card, but by combining it with my Zombie Warrior I can further raise its strength." Now his monsters were; Corroding Shark 1500 and 800, Zombie Warrior 1950 and 1150, and Dragon Zombie 2100 and 0. The Pumking stats remained the same because it could not power itself up.  
  
"Dragon Zombie attack the Spirit of the Harp!" ordered Bandit Keith. In a flash of light the fairy type was gone. "And next turn all my forces will be powerful enough to destroy your pathetic defense."  
  
"I play Master and Expert in defense mode and this," said Kiana as she put her monster and magic card on the field. She then pulled her left arm behind her until it was perfectly straight, but still able to touch her right ear. Her new monster had appeared on the field. It was actually to separate monsters, like the Gemini Elf card. There was an oversized shaggy canine like creature and a lizard with human attributes. Its attack was 1200 and its defense was 1000.  
  
"Then I play the Great Mammoth of Goldfire," declared Bandit Keith. A large skeleton of an elephant appeared with his other monsters. The bones were yellow from age. Its stats were normally 2200 and 1800, but because of the Pumking its attack was raised to 2450. The attacks of his other zombies had been raised. The Corroding Shark had 1750, the Zombie Warrior was at 2200, and the Dragon Zombie was at 2350.  
  
"Great Mammoth attack the Aqua Madoor," declared Bandit Keith.  
  
"Negate Attack activate," said Kiana as her magic card was revealed. The attack did nothing.  
  
"Dragon Zombie attack the Aqua Madoor, then," said Bandit Keith and the magician fell. "And Zombie Warrior attack the Master and Expert." That monster disappeared with a yelp and a flash of light.  
  
"It is over, you have lost," said Bandit Keith, "Why don't you give up now and save face?"  
  
"You can beat him Kiana, it ain't over yet," Tempest said. The other spectators agreed with her.  
  
"Me, lose," asked Kiana, "Whatever will I do? Oh, this seems so hopeless. I can't seem to beat him. What am I going to do?" Her voice kept getting more and more sarcastic. "All I have is a monster card and three magic cards." She placed them on the holo-field. "First I play the Musician King in attack mode." Her newest monster appeared on the field. This one could definitely be classified as human. It had spiky blonde hair and a red headband. It had black leather pants and no shirt. It held a bright red guitar. It looked like someone you might see at a rock concert. Its attack was 1750 and its defense was 1500.  
  
"Then I equip him with Black Pendant. Destroy the Pumking," ordered Kiana. It was done and Bandit Keith was down to 1350 life points.  
  
"After that I play De-Spell to remove your Call of the Haunting," said Kiana.  
  
"Grrr....You still have to deal with my powerful monsters," growled Bandit Keith, not at all happy that she got rid of his magic card and none of his monster would be able to come back to life.  
  
"Who said I have to deal with them?" asked Kiana as she bent her head down to her right knee while fully extending her left leg straight up. "My last magic card is Eternal Rest. It forces you to put all your zombies in the graveyard and keep them there."  
  
"No!" cried Bandit Keith as the holo-field showed the ground opening up and returning all of his creatures to their graves.  
  
"Your move," said Kiana.  
  
"I play Wood Remains in defense mode," said Bandit Keith. It was a head, looking like a carving from a tree stump. It had moldy green hair with twigs in it. Its stats were 1000 and 900.  
  
"I use Stop Defense which switches your monster to attack mode," said Kiana, "I also play this magic card face down. Musician King attack the Wood Remains." They clashed and the Wood Remains dissolved, clutching its ears in pain. Bandit Keith was now at 350 life points while Kiana had 1150.  
  
Bandit Keith drew his next card and smiled, "I play the Lord of Zemia in attack mode and equip it with the Sword of Dark Destruction and Dark Energy." A demon-like creature appeared with blood red bat wings and night dark scaly body. Its long claws clutched a wicked black sword. Because of the power boosts its attack was 2300, 150 points higher than the Musician King. "Attack!"  
  
"Not quite," said Kiana as she once again contorted her body. "I played Reinforcements. That increases the power of my Musician King by 500 for this turn. You lose."  
  
"No!" cried Bandit Keith, but it was too late. His fiend disappeared in a blaze of light and his life points went down to 0.  
  
Kiana did a back flip off of the platform. The guards had to escort Bandit Keith out. He was putting up a fight. At last the doors closed and his protested faded.  
  
"We will be briefly postponing to duels for lunch," said a guard. The remaining duelists and eliminators were ushered once again into the party room with another buffet.  
  
Joe was easily the pig of the day with Bandit Keith gone. He was pretty happy he was gone, everyone was. The food was good and Tempest and Martin were slipping extra into their backpacks. Yu-Gi even gave in and ate a little, probably mostly out of hunger. The conversation topics were mostly anxious talks about the next duels.  
  
Meanwhile..........  
  
"I was cheated! Robbery!" yelled Bandit Keith as the guard proceeded to drag him out of the castle.  
  
"Quiet yacking," said the guard, "When you enter this tournament you signed a paper saying you would agree to the rules. And since you lost, you are deported. So quit acting like a baby!"  
  
"I didn't sign any papers!" yelled Bandit Keith. He had cheated his way on the island and stolen his star chips. "Deport this!" With that Bandit Keith swung around and punched the guard hard in his stomach. The guard doubled over. Bandit Keith then brought his fists down on the back of the guard's neck, knocking him unconscious.  
  
"Pegasus you are mine!" gritted Bandit Keith and he began to roam the castle, searching for his prey.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Ii was a tournament a year ago. The finals had come down to Pegasus and Bandit Keith. Bandit Keith had unlocked a perfect strategy. He knew there was no way he could lose.  
  
On the sidelines Seto Kaiba watched as Pegasus's guest of honor. Kaiba wasn't fooled by Pegasus's display. He knew the Duel Monsters creator had just been toying with Bandit Keith.  
  
Just as Pegasus was about to play his last turn, or so Bandit Keith thought, Pegasus stopped and began to write on a piece of paper. Then he motioned for a young boy to come from the audience.  
  
"What are you doing? Asking for help is illegal," demanded Bandit Keith.  
  
"I just want to show that a child can beat you," said Pegasus as he sat the boy in his place.  
  
"Thanks mister, but I have only been playing Duel Monsters for a week," said Sam, the boy.  
  
"Just follow these directions and you will win," said Pegasus and he left, taking a seat next to Kaiba.  
  
"I won't be psyched out so easy. I am still going to win this," thought Bandit Keith as he played his next card. "Beat this."  
  
"Good card." Said Sam with a sniff, "But the note says that when you play that, I am supposed to play this in attack mode." He placed the card on the table top, because this was before the holo-fields. "I think I just took all your life points."  
  
"There is no way you could have known what card I was going to play! Let me see that!" demanded Bandit Keith as he grabbed the note, "No! It is all here! What card I am going to play.....how to beat it...." Pegasus had walked over.  
  
"Sam is the winner," he said as he lifted Sam's arm in the air.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"You completely humiliated me that day," thought Bandit Keith angrily, "And now I will return the favor."  
  
In another room of the castle.......  
  
"Mr.Pegasus," said Kemo, another of his guards, "Bandit Keith has escaped Crochet and is loose in the castle."  
  
"I know that already," said Pegasus as he emptied his wine glass, "And I will deal with it personally. Keep an eye on Yu-Gi and the other duelists."  
  
"Yes, Mr.Pegasus, sir," said the guard as he left. Pegasus also left, in search of the renegade.  
  
Back with Bandit Keith.......  
  
"I will make him pay ten times over for what he did to me that day," continued Bandit Keith, his anger rising.  
  
"You broke the rules," said a voice from behind him. Bandit Keith turned around.  
  
"You!" he yelled. Pegasus was right behind him.  
  
"You come to my island, try to cheat in my tournament, and break my rules....." accused Pegasus.  
  
"Duel me!" demanded Bandit Keith, "I will crush you!"  
  
"No, I don't think so," replied Pegasus coolly, "By participating in my tournament, even if you didn't sign the contract, you still are bound by my rules. And you have broken them. Now you must pay the consequences!" Things were going to get worse for Bandit Keith before they got better.....much worse.  
  
Pegasus pulled back his hair, revealing his Millennial Eye. A bright light burst from it whited out the hall. Bandit Keith let out a scream of surprise, then fell silent. When the light was gone, Bandit Keith shared the same spaced out expression as the Kaiba brothers. Not that that was a noticeable difference from his usual uncomprehending gaze.  
  
"If you would have read those papers you would have known that I cannot be held responsible for lost or stolen property, even if I did take it," muttered Pegasus to himself as he pocked a card with Bandit Keith's picture on it.  
  
"Kemo, I have an errand for you," said Pegasus over the intercom.  
  
"What is it Mr.Pegasus?" asked Kemo through the small walkie-talkie.  
  
"Please remove the hollow shell from the third floor hallway of the west wing and put it to work drying the dishes," said Pegasus. He returned to his quiet dining room and continued to make plans for the other duelists, especially Yu-Gi Motuo.  
  
Back in the party room.....  
  
Everyone was nervously anticipating their next duel. Then for no reason, Yu-Gi shuddered as he felt Pegasus use his Millennial Eye, even though Yu- Gi didn't know why he suddenly felt a chill.  
  
"The storm is brewing again," thought Tempest as she felt the powers surging around her, "And this one will be worse than the last." 


	15. Double Duel

Lady Akhana: The Penguin Opposition Force Meeting will now come to order.  
  
Moonlady: Hey! That's my line!  
  
Star: Any new business?  
  
Gema J. Gall: Yeah! It's working! Authors from all over the world are joining us to stop the plague! We will beat the penguins!  
  
Lady Akhana (to Moonlady): Too much Dr. Pepper.  
  
Moonlady: I agree....  
  
Star: So how many new members do we have?  
  
Gema J Gall: Well, two.....  
  
Lady Akhana: That's it?!  
  
Gema J. Gall: Um, yeah..... Allow me to introduce the Pharaohs Light and Dark.  
  
Pharaoh Light: Pleased to meet ya.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: We are so glad others know! I thought we would have to face the penguins alone.  
  
Gema J Gall: And they have some great ideas!  
  
Star: Like what?  
  
Pharaoh Dark: Mustard waterballoons! Mustard paintball guns! Pharaoh Light, are oyu writing this down?  
  
Pharaoh Light: He thinks I'm his secretary...... Yes, I wrote it down.  
  
Moonlady: So what is your story?  
  
Pharaoh Dark: We were working at our secret base when we received word of your knowledge of the penguins.  
  
Pharaoh Light: We wrote promptly.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: But then our alarm went off.....  
  
Lady Akhana: What alarm?  
  
Pharaoh Light: This alarm *holds up a lightbulb* It turns green when the penguins are on the move and red when they are attacking.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: We had to flee and leave most of our supplies, but I still have a few mustard grenades.  
  
Pharaoh Light: They're waterballoons.  
  
Star: Gema, did the paintball gun work?  
  
Gema J. Gall: Sort of.... the mustard pellets kind of explode into a mist wen I fire it though. *Penguin alarm turns yellow*  
  
Lady Akhana: The light is yellow! We are going to die!  
  
Pharaoh Dark: No, that just means that someone is coming.  
  
Moonlady: Who?  
  
Bandit Keith: Me!  
  
Star: What are you doing here?  
  
Bandit Keith: I have a bone to pick with Gema...... HOW DARE YOU LET PEGASUS STEAL MY SOUL?!  
  
Gema J. Gall: Because I don't like you.  
  
Bandit Keith: I will crush you!  
  
Gema J. Gall: I doubt that, you're not smart enough. *Penguin alarm turns red.*  
  
Pharaoh Light: The penguins have him! He is one of them!  
  
Pharaoh Dark: Eat grenade!  
  
*Pharaoh Dark begins bombing Bandit Keith with waterballoons. Gema J. Gall opens fire with the paintball gun. Lady Akhana begins to fling stadium mustard on him. Moonlady prepares to knock him over the head with her baseball bat. Pharaoh Light is calling for reinforcements. Star is reaching for a hotdog.*  
  
Bandit Keith: What is the matter with you people?!  
  
Lady Akhana: Die penguin scum!  
  
Moonlady: Eat mustard!  
  
Bandit Keith: Dang you people! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get mustard out of black leather?!  
  
*Moonlady knocks him out with her baseball bat.*  
  
Star: Now what do we do?  
  
Moonlady: We load him with mustard.  
  
Gema J Gall: Then we give him back to Pegasus. I ain't through with him yet.  
  
Lady Akhana: That was too close.  
  
Pharaoh Light: It looks like we could still use more help.  
  
Gema J Gall: We want you to join the Penguin Opposition Force.  
  
Lady Akhana: Thank you Uncle Sam......  
  
Moonlady: Anyways, remember the e-mail is princess8light@yahoo.com or princessakhana@yahoo.com.  
  
Lady Akhana: Brilliant idea! I could start a yahoo group!  
  
Pharaoh Light: And the whole world will be able to fight the penguins!  
  
Pharaoh Dark: Great idea!  
  
Gema J Gall: Do it!  
  
Lady Akhana: OK! I'll get back with ya when I do.  
  
Star: We'd better split before the penguins find us.  
  
Moonlady: Agreed, let's get out of here.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"Well, this is the final round, and I actually made it," thought Tempest as her and Martin ate in silence. "I said I would drop out when only those who deserved to win were left. I think that has happened. I'll withdraw now. I really hate to go back to the Group Home, but I don't have any motivation to continue here. I've reached my goal. Plus, I won't look like a complete idiot when, if I get creamed by an eliminator. Not to mention being dragged out of here. Also, I won't have to deal with Pegasus and his cheating and Yu-Gi and his Duel Monster's cult. I'll announce my plans after the meal and walk out. That will give them all something to talk about."  
  
"I have the honor to announce the next duel," said a guard, Crochet, steeping forward. Everyone pushed away there desserts to listen. "But this duel is going to be different than any duel before. It will be a double duel; two finalists versus two eliminators, simultaneously. The rest of the rules will be explained at the holo-field. Our participants in this double duel will be the brothers Para and Dox, and the finalists Mai and Jewel."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"That would be me," said Tempest stepping forward, "Jewel was my name when I registered three weeks ago."  
  
"How many times do you change your name?!" asked Joe.  
  
"Seven in the past month," Tempest replied, somewhat enjoying the confusion she created.  
  
"This way," said the guard, who had recovered first.  
  
"Looks like we are in this together, kid," said Mai as she walked passed Tempest.  
  
"Dang it! This isn't supposed to happen!" thought Tempest, "I can't just back out now, that wouldn't be fair to Mai. I guess I am just going to have to play this thing through." A knot began to form in her stomach. "I don't want to face an eliminator, and now I have to face two! I am not some champion, this is my first tournament ever! I don't want to get humiliated!"  
  
The group walked back to the arena. The holo-field had been altered while they ate. Instead of two platforms opposite of each other, there were four platforms, one in each corner. Para and Dox took a place at the left, so Tempest and Mai took the right. Martin slipped passed the guards and stood at his accustomed place at the bottom of Tempest's platform. He was hiding in its shadow, which was good. If the guards would have caught him, he would have to leave Tempest.  
  
"The rules will be as followed," said Para, "I will go, then Mai...."  
  
"Then me, then Tempest," finished Dox. "Each player will have twenty life points, as usual....."  
  
"But the first one to reach 0, means their whole team loses....." continued Para.  
  
"And therefore the weakest duelist will be our target....." said Dox smiling and he gestured towards Tempest. She stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"A player cannot use their teammate's cards....." said Para.  
  
"All other rules of a normal duel apply," finished Dox. They finished their speech with a simultaneous triple back flip and land together.  
  
"Time to duel," said the duelists. Well, all except Tempest, who was getting sick with dread.  
  
"For my turn I play the Labyrinth Wall in defense mode," said Para as he played his card.  
  
"That card has no attack points!" exclaimed Mai. Its stats were 0 and 3000. "What are you thinking?!"  
  
The holo-field began to rumble, then his move took shape. From out of the floor rose high walls, in an unusual formation.  
  
"What is going on?!" exclaimed Mai as the holo-field finished. The whole field had transformed into a giant maze.  
  
"The labyrinth has formed..." said Para.  
  
"Enter at your own risk...." added Dox.  
  
"Is that even possible?" asked Tempest, out-loud. "Not with the traditional, tabletop method, that is for sure," she added silently.  
  
"The rules of the labyrinth are simple enough...." said Para.  
  
"A monster may enter and take as many steps as their level....." continued Dox. (AN: Card level is indicated by the number of stars in the upper right corner of a card.)  
  
"But the labyrinth also holds our traps...." warned Para.  
  
"Navigate it successfully, or fall victim to our monsters...." finished Dox.  
  
"Remember when we faced them?" asked Joe to Yu-Gi in the audience.  
  
"Yes, that was a hard duel," he replied.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Joe, "But our friendship got us through it."  
  
"That is something Mai and Tempest don't have," said Yu-Gi, biting his lower lip.  
  
"Do you think they can win?" asked Joe.  
  
"No one has beaten an eliminator yet," commented Tristan.  
  
"Hey, Yu-Gi has already beaten them, and Panic," countered Joe. "Besides," he thought, "I will have to win, for my sister. Serenity."  
  
"For my first turn I play Harpy Lady in attack mode," declared Mai. Her mythological beast appeared on the field. Her flaming red hair blowing wildly as it flapped her arms which acted as wings. Her stats were 1300 and 1400.  
  
"That is Mai's standard opening move," commented Joe.  
  
"Be warned that the labyrinth is a no fly zone," snickered Dox.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Mai.  
  
"Your monster cannot enter the maze," replied Para.  
  
"For my move I play this face down and end my turn," said Dox he played a monster card in defense mode.  
  
"Then I play the Succubus Knight in attack mode," declared Tempest. Her monster appeared on the field, one step away from the labyrinth. Her monster was blonde with a red jumpsuit and a pendant that resembled bat wings on. Her attack was 1650 and defense was 1300. "And I will have her walk five steps into the maze." The warrior type walked forward and stopped, looking around for action.  
  
"Then I will play the Dungeon Worm in attack mode," declared Para. His monster was basically, a long orange worm. It had no real head, just a large opening lined with teeth. Its attack was 1800 and its defense was 1500. "Dungeon Worm, attack the demon-lady."  
  
"It can't! It is on the other side of the maze!" exclaimed Mai. But the her surprise and her partner's chagrin, the Dungeon Worm began to burrow under the maze.  
  
"What is happening?!" asked Tempest. The monster was gone, leaving its hole as proof of its trail. A second later it popped up under her monster, caught the Succubus Knight in its teeth, and dove back into the ground. Tempest lost 150 life points.  
  
"That is cheating!" exclaimed Mai.  
  
"No, the Dungeon Worm travels that way," countered Para.  
  
"Better quickly learn the rules of the labyrinth," finished Dox. They did their trademark simultaneous triple back flip.  
  
"Quit doing that!" demanded Mai.  
  
"It is your turn, just go and ignore them," suggested Tempest, "The Dungeon Worm won't leave the maze to get your Harpy Lady, so you will be OK."  
  
"I play Cyber Shield to raise my monsters stats," declared Mai, "What do you think of this make-over?" Her monster was give sheek, state-of the art armor, which put her stats at 1800 and 1900.  
  
"A waste of a turn...." said Para.  
  
"You have yet to hurt our monsters," finished Dox, "And now I play the magic card Polymerization to meld my Shadow Ghoul into the Labyrinth Wall, creating the Wall Shadow." His first monster was flipped over and literal sucked into the wall. In the end it was part of the wall with dark, vicious claws. It attack was 1600 and defense was 3000.  
  
"Their decks are designed for this," Tempest said to Mai. "they are meant to be played together in this labyrinth."  
  
"So what is your point?" asked Mai.  
  
"It means that we aren't really dueling two separate decks, we are dueling one deck, more or less," said Tempest, "Our decks weren't designed like that, but somehow we are going to need to find a way to make them work together to win."  
  
"I may have an idea, but none of my monsters can enter the maze," commented Mai, "Take your turn and I'll find a way to work this out."  
  
"Then I play the Water Magician in attack mode," declared Tempest. She played her monster, whose stats were 1400 and 1000. She had on an aqua hat and cape that matched her aqua suit, which had green sleeves. Her pants were white and she held a golden staff with a crescent moon and a blue orb at the top. Her lilac hair was cut short around her neck. "And she will take four steps into your maze. I also play a magic card."  
  
"For my turn I play the Guardian of the Labyrinth in attack mode and power him up with the Legendary Sword," Para declared as he laid his card down. His warrior had an attack of 1000 and defense of1200, but were now 1500 and 1700. It wore dark blue armor and its helmet had two demon-like horns. In one had was a sword that had to be as long as he was. In the other was a shield made out of pure fire. "Advance four paces into the maze. Then Dungeon Worm destroy the Water Magician." The Dungeon Worm broke through the stone surface of the Labyrinth, ready to destroy the next monster.  
  
"Fake Trap activate!" yelled Tempest. The Dungeon Worm froze, then dove back underground.  
  
"Interesting," commented Para.  
  
"Yes, very," responded Dox.  
  
"For my next turn I play the magic card, Elegant Egotist, to multiply my Harpy Lady," declared Mai. The Harpy Lady split into three. One with the stats of 1800 and 1900, and the other two with 1300 and 1400. "Then I play another magic card face down to end my turn."  
  
"I hope you have this figured out," thought Tempest as Dox began his next move.  
  
"I will play the Labyrinth Tank in attack mode and have it advance seven steps into our maze," declared Dox. The tank appeared. It was blue with multiple drills coming from the front top and sides. It made its way into the labyrinth, gouging the sides as it went. Its attack and defense were both 2400. "Then Wall Shadow attack the Water Magician!" The Wall Shadow vanished into the maze's wall and, like a shadow, crept upon Tempest's monster and shredded it. Tempest was down to 1650 life points.  
  
"Impossible! It went to many spaces!" exclaimed Mai.  
  
"Actually, it went no spaces, because it moved along the wall," said Dox.  
  
"You had better learn the rules of the labyrinth," added Para.  
  
"I can't just keep sending my monsters out to be massacred. We need a plan. I just hope Mai knows what she is doing. It seems like I will be doing most of the attacking here," thought Tempest before she made her move.  
  
Para had his Dungeon Worm and Guardian of the Labyrinth, both in attack mode. Dox had his Wall Shadow and Labyrinth Tank, both in attack mode also. Mai had her three Harpies, one powered up by the Cyber Shield. Tempest had no cards in play at the moment.  
  
"Do you think they can actually win?" Bakura asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"I don't know, it will be hard," he answered, "Para and Dox have some good monsters out there. Plus, Mai can't really help, since all her monsters fly."  
  
"It only gets harder from here, remember Yug," said Joe.  
  
"Yeah, I remember. They had better win this before Para and Dox can summon their ultimate monster," replied Yu-Gi.  
  
"I play Fairy of the Fountain in attack mode, and I will power her up with Malevolent Nuzzler," she declared as she played her combo. The Fairy of the Fountain had turquoise skin and deep aqua colored hair. She had a blue jewel on the middle of her forehead. She held a medium sized clay vase and wore a flowing white, long, straight dress. Her raised attack was 2100. But her defense was lowered to 800. "I also play a magic card. Then I will have my fairy take four paces into your maze." The monster complied.  
  
"Haven't you learned anything?" asked Para.  
  
"You cannot win in our labyrinth," Dox answered his brother's question. It was Para's turn.  
  
"Ah! One piece of the puzzle!" Para exclaimed as he drew his next card. "I play this in defense mode. Then I use the magic card, Invigoration, to raise the attack of my Dungeon Worm to 2300." He laid his new card on the field. A coffin like box appeared on the field, on their end of the maze. They did a triple back flip out of their excitement.  
  
"What is it?" Tempest asked Martin.  
  
"I don't know," replied Mai. "It looks like a coffin with a weird Chinese symbol on it."  
  
"I've never heard of a monster like that," muttered Tempest as she quickly ran all her known facts about Duel Monster through her head.  
  
"You know what this means, Yug," said Joe.  
  
"I know, this isn't good," he replied.  
  
"Then I'll have my guardian advance four more paces. Finally, Dungeon Worm attack the Fairy of the Fountain!" Para ordered. Once again the worm appeared from the depths of the earth. It was about to attack Tempest's monster.  
  
"I call for Reinforcements!" she yelled as she turned her magic card over. "That raises my monster's attack to 2600 for this turn, 300 higher than yours." When the Dungeon Worm appeared to eat the fairy, her monster fired a forceful beam of water out of her vase. The Dungeon Worm dissipated. Para was down to 1700 life points.  
  
"No!" he cried.  
  
"Yeah! Score one for them!" encouraged Tea. Martin smiled.  
  
"My turn," said Mai. "I play the Rose Whip, to raise the attack of my Harpy Lady by 300 more points." Her lead Harpy was now at 2100 and 2200. "Then I play this magic card, ending my turn.  
  
"Why do you bother with your monsters? They are useless here," asked Dox.  
  
"Because the duelists has no other move," answered Para.  
  
"For my next turn I play this face down," said Dox as he laid his monster card down, but in attack mode.  
  
"What is it?" asked Mai.  
  
"Another hazard of the labyrinth. Plus, my Labyrinth Tank advances seven more paces," answered Dox. Silently, he thought, "Little do they know that when they step on the square with the Jiria Gumo's symbol it will attack."  
  
"I'll have my Fairy of the Fountain take four more paces. Then I play Gyakutenno Megami in attack mode," declared Tempest. "We need more fire power," she thought. Her next female monster appeared on the field. She had flowing green hair and a simple, pale green dress on with a sky blue sash and trim. She had an ornate golden tiara and pretty green face paint on. Her ears were elfin. She carried a golden staff with an ornate eagle carved on the top. Her stats were 1800 and 2000. "Enter the maze, six steps."  
  
"We admire your persistence......" said Para.  
  
"But your efforts are futile...." finished Dox.  
  
"For next I play the second piece of are puzzle in defense mode, plus two magic cards," said Para. He laid the card down and another coffin with a different symbol appeared. "Now, all that is left is Kazejin. Guardian of the Labyrinth advance four spaces."  
  
"Woah! Kazejin!" exclaimed Tempest.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Mai.  
  
"Have you ever heard of the Gate Guardian Ritual? By combining three monsters; Sanga of the Thunder, Suijin, and Kazejin, the Gate Guardian can be summoned. It is stronger than the Blue-Eyes!" explained Tempest.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Mai.  
  
"We are in trouble. We need to get rid of those coffins," said Tempest.  
  
"How did she know that?" asked Joe in the audience.  
  
"I think she has spent a lot of time studying all of the cards, probably to make up for her blindness," answered Bakura.  
  
"Wow! And I thought gramps pushed me hard," commented Joe.  
  
"She is quite knowledgeable about the game," said Yu-Gi, "Between that and Mai's experience they may win this yet."  
  
"That makes it my turn," said Mai, "And I don't like you stocking up on magic cards. So I use Harpy's Feather Duster and blow them away." She played her magic card. Normally the holo-fields showed and unexplainable breeze get rid of all of the opponent's magic card when it was used, but since Mai had her Harpy Lady in play the holo-fields showed her wings lengthen to create a tornado, which eliminated Para's magic cards.  
  
"Hopefully we won't have to wait much longer," said Dox as he drew his card, "No such luck. I play Flame Cerebrus in attack mode. Then it will advance six steps into our maze, so will the Labyrinth Tank."  
  
"That is one ugly mutt," muttered Mai as her opponent's new monster appeared. It had blood red fur, except its heads which were dirty brown. Heads plural because there were three. It also had three snake like tails. Other than that is was completely canine with 2100 attack and 1800 defense.  
  
"The Cerebrus was the guardian beast of Hades in Greek and Roman mythology," explained Tempest.  
  
"Then," continued Dox, "With the help of the Ax of Despair, Wall Shadow destroy the Gyakutenno Megami!" With that order the fiend raced through the walls and quickly broke Tempest's monster into light before disappearing again. Because of the creature's raised stats Tempest was down to 1450 life points.  
  
"Fine," countered Tempest, getting annoyed because all her monsters were ending up in the graveyard, "I play the Empress Judge in attack mode, plus De-spell to remove your Ax of Despair." The Wall Shadow reverted to its original stats as Tempest's new monster appeared. She had fiery red hair and a standard with two pairs of wings at the top. Her dress was silky and violet with pink trim. She also had a gold tiara and red face paint. She was, except for color, almost identical to the Gyakutenno Megami. Those two cards were rivals and their stats would actually be lowered if they were on the field at the same time. But, since her counterpart was recently destroyed, her stats remained unaltered at 2100 and 1700. Tempest hoped she could survive the labyrinth.  
  
"She will take six steps into the labyrinth and my Fairy of the Fountain will also continue," she finished her turn.  
  
"Then I play this magic card," announced Para, smiling broadly. The whole arena began to shake and the labyrinth itself rearranged.  
  
"What is happening?" asked Mai as she watched from above.  
  
"We can change the labyrinth with the Magic Labyrinth magic card," boasted Para.  
  
"You cannot hope to win, concede defeat," taunted Dox.  
  
"Never!" Tempest and Mai said together, much to the surprise of all.  
  
The maze had been reformed. The Guardian of the Labyrinth wasn't in much better position then before, but the Labyrinth Tank, Flame Cerebrus, and Fairy of the Fountain had been pushed farther into the maze. The Empress Judge, on the other hand, was almost to the other side. The other monster cards; Para and Dox's Suijin and Sanga of the Thunder, as well and Mai's Harpies, were unaffected because they hadn't entered the maze. The Wall Shadow wasn't affected either, because it was in the walls, how unlikely that may be.  
  
"Now, Guardian of the Labyrinth, exit the maze and attack a Harpy Lady," ordered Para. The guardian raised its sword and sliced through one of Mai's weaker harpies. It let out a bird shriek then dissipated. Mai lost 200 life points.  
  
"You'll regret that," retorted Mai. "Because I play these two magic cards. First is Shadow Spell, which I am going to use on your Wall Shadow."  
  
"What is this?" asked Para.  
  
"What can the duelists be thinking?" asked Dox. Tempest smiled. Down below the holo-field showed multiple chains bind the Wall Shadow, dragging it out of the wall and reducing its stats by 500.  
  
"No, Wall Shadow!" cried Dox.  
  
"And now Harpy Lady attack the Wall Shadow," Mai ordered. The remaining weaker harpy shredded the beached Wall Shadow, bring Dox's life points down to 1700. "But I am not done yet. My strongest harpy, decimate the Guardian of the Labyrinth." That harpy took flight and, despite the guardian's attempt to use its flaming shield, it was destroyed. This brought Para down to 1000 life points.  
  
"Way to go!"  
  
"Good job!"  
  
"Nice move!" came the encouragement from below.  
  
"You shall regret that," yelled Dox, "For now I play Final Flame which takes 200 points directly off of your life points." He put his magic card down and the holo-field showed the sky fill with fire, ready to rain down on Mai.  
  
"Too bad," she snickered, "Because, long ago, I played the trap card Goblin Fan. It sends all of that kind of magic back to its sender." She still had two unknown magic cards.  
  
"No!" cried Para and Dox together. The fiery sky reversed directions and fell on Dox. He was down to 1500 life points. Para had 1000, Mai 1800, and Tempest had 1450.  
  
"Fine, my Labyrinth Tank will advance seven more paces, within range of your harpies, and it will destroy the weaker one first," said Dox. The tank rumbled forward and, with its drills, grinded the harpy into obliteration. Mai was down to 900 life points.  
  
"That was so cool Mai," complimented Tempest, "And now I play the Electro- Whip on my Fairy of the Fountain. Which further raises her stats to 2600. Then she will take four more steps into the maze."  
  
"She is two steps away from Dox's Flame Cerebrus," Mai pointed out.  
  
"Thanks," said Tempest, "Fairy of the Fountain take two steps and destroy the Flame Cerebrus before continuing." The Fairy of the Fountain did just that. She walked forward and raised her vase. Water began to gush out, more than that vase should be able to hold. The Flame Cerebrus disappeared with a yelp. This brought Dox down to 1000 life points. Then the Fairy continued.  
  
"Ha, you walked....." said Para.  
  
"Into our trap......" finished Dox. The fairy had landed on a square with a web-like symbol on it. "Jiria Gumo attack and destroy the Fairy of the Fountain." A dark brown spider-like creature appeared and enveloped Tempest's monster with its jointed legs. Its attack was 2200 but its defense was only 100.  
  
"It can't," protested Tempest, "My Fairy is stronger."  
  
"No it isn't...." started Para.  
  
"The Jiria Gumo reduces any power-ups," finished Dox and her monster was reverted back to 1600 attack.  
  
"No!" cried Tempest but her monster was gone. She was down to 850 life points. "To finish my turn my Empress Judge will take six more steps.  
  
"You'd better learn the rules of the labyrinth," said Para.  
  
"But it may be too late for even that...." finished Dox.  
  
"Will you quit doing that!" yelled Mai.  
  
"For my turn I play the Monster Tamer in attack mode," said Para. "Normally I could not control my brother's monsters, but the Monster Tamer allows me to by-pass that rule. So, I will have Dox's Labyrinth Tank eliminate the last Harpy Lady." The tank approached Mai's remaining monster.  
  
"No it won't, Negate Attack activate," said Mai as she revealed one of her two remaining magic cards. The tank did no damage to her monster.  
  
"But that is not all," said Mai as she began her turn, "I play Follow Wind to raise the attack of my Harpy Lady to 2600. And now it is strong enough to destroy your precious tank."  
  
"But you have forgotten a basic rule....." said Para.  
  
"Negate Attack stays in-play for just one more turn....." finished Dox.  
  
"Dang it," muttered Tempest.  
  
"This is getting close," said Joe in the audience.  
  
"I know," said Tea, "But I hope Tempest and Mai win.  
  
"What? Don't want to be the only girl around all these buff men," teased Tristan.  
  
"I don't see any buff men," replied Tea, looking around. Tristan and Joe fell, anime style.  
  
"Good luck," whispered Yu-Gi.  
  
"Then I will play the Machine Conversion Factory which upgrades my Labyrinth Tank," said Dox. There was the sound of metal on metal and new, sharper drills appeared on the tank, plus denser armor. Its stats were now 2900 each.  
  
"Too bad the Follow Wind put my harpy out of your range," gloated Mai. Her Harpy Lady was at eye level with the duelists on their raised platform.  
  
"I guess that means that it is my turn," said Tempest as she drew her next card. She smiled, "I play Megamorph, which raises my Empress Judge's stats by one level. She now has an attack of 3100. And she will now continue to advance in your maze."  
  
"She has left the maze," Mai pointed out.  
  
"What?" asked Para.  
  
"She took an extra step," complained Dox.  
  
"That is because her level was raised by one," said Tempest, "And now, destroy Suijin."  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"All right!"  
  
"Good move!" encouraged the audience as they watched the coffin splinter.  
  
"One left thing to worry about," muttered Mai.  
  
"How dare you destroy one of the labyrinth brothers," said Para, enraged, "I use Spell-Binding Circle on your judge." A strange magical circle surrounded her monster. Tempest bit her lip.  
  
"Reverse Trap activate!" declared Mai as she revealed her last magic card. "That means that her monster now gains 500 points."  
  
"Thanks," said Tempest as she smiled at her partner.  
  
"That is team work," said Joe.  
  
"They may win this yet, especially with one of the pieces of the Gate Guardian gone," added Yu-Gi.  
  
"And now for my turn," said Mai. "I play Harpy's Pet Dragon, which gets a power bonus, just for being near my Harpy Lady." An orange dragon appeared on the field. It was large, but not as big as some of the other dragons. Chains were around its limbs and it had feathers around its face like a Mardi Gras mask. Its raised stats were 2500 and 3000. "I also play the rare magic card Shadow of Eyes as well as this, face down." She laid two magic cards down.  
  
"What does it do?" asked Para.  
  
"It forces opponent's monsters to attack," replied Tempest.  
  
"How did you know that?" asked Mai.  
  
"I studied," she replied simply.  
  
"Yes, I see," she said to Tempest. Then to the brothers, "Well what are you waiting for, Monster Tamer attack." The Monster Tamer was hypnotized and ran through the maze like a mad man. It raced to her Harpy Lady and was decimated. This brought Para down to 200 life points. Dox had 800, Tempest 850, and Mai had 900.  
  
"But it also effects non-human monsters," continued Mai, "Labyrinth Tank attack and activate my trap, Reinforcements." The tank attacked the dragon and due to the trap card lost by 100 points, which came off of Dox's total.  
  
"Hum," said Dox as he watched his tank be destroyed and prepared for his next turn, "Kazejin, defense mode. Also I play Curse Breaker on the Empress Judge, which takes away all power ups she has." The Judge's stats returned to 2100 and 1700. Tempest frowned, so did Martin. Even though he didn't say anything, inside he was strongly cheering for her.  
  
"My turn," said Tempest. At those words the Jiria Gumo began to rush trough the maze.  
  
"What is happening?" asked Para and Dox.  
  
"It is under the spell of my Shadow of Eyes," said Mai.  
  
"Quickly I play the De-Spell card to eliminate the Curse Breaker," said Tempest. The Empress Judge had not yet returned to full stats before the Jiria Gumo attacked. They collided and the female monster won. Dox was brought down to 500 life points and Tempest's monster returned to 3100 attack and 2700 defense.  
  
"But that isn't all," said Tempest, "I would have played this first, but circumstances necessitated that I do otherwise. So now I play the Harpy Lady Sisters in attack mode." She laid her monster card down. Three harpies appeared. One looked like the Harpy Lady card; red hair and feathers. The next one had short orange hair and green feathers. The last had spiky violet hair and lilac feathers. Their stats were 1950 and 2100. "They raise the stats of the Harpy's Pet Dragon by 1000." The dragon now had an attack of 3500.  
  
"Wow, that is good," commented Joe.  
  
"This is good," said Yu-Gi, "They are beginning to work together."  
  
"That is very impressive...." said Para, he was smiling, not a good sign.  
  
"But will it be good enough?" asked Dox.  
  
"For now I play Suijin in defense mode...." continued Para.  
  
"No way!" exclaimed Tempest.  
  
"And they meld together to create...." said Dox.  
  
"The Gate Guardian," they finished together.  
  
"This is bad," muttered Mai. The holo-field went dark and the three coffins glowed eerily. There was a flash of light and the Gate Guardian appeared. It towered over every monster, even the Harpy's Pet Dragon. Its feet were made by Suijin, the water element and were aqua blue with Suijin's symbol on the waist. The abdomen was formed from Kazejin, element of wind and was green with its symbol on the stomach. Sanga of the Thunder created the head with its symbol on the chest. The Gate Guardian looked like a walking suit of armor with an attack of 3750.  
  
"I play this magic card, then Gate Guardian destroy the Empress Judge," Para ordered. Summoning a violent storm from the wind element the Empress Judge was blown away. Tempest was knocked down to 20 life points.  
  
"This is not good," muttered Mai, Tempest nodded in agreement.  
  
"They have two," muttered Bakura.  
  
"Actually they probably have three of each of those monsters," said Yu-Gi, "Considering you can't have any more than three of one monster in a deck."  
  
"Can they beat it?" asked Joe.  
  
"I do not know," replied Yu-Gi.  
  
"No magic card here," said Mai, "I play Harpy's Feather Duster and blow it away." The wings again lengthened on her remaining harpy and the magic acrd was sent to the graveyard.  
  
"If you do not like magic cards I might as well play one," gloated Dox, "I play Ryoko (Excuse my spelling). It is a very rare magic card."  
  
"But what does it do?" asked Mai.  
  
"It takes half of our life points and gives them to one of their monsters," answered Tempest.  
  
"What?! That is highway robbery!" exclaimed Mai. "And if you say one more thing about 'the rules of the labyrinth' I will make it impossible for you to say anything else ever again." She cut her opponents gloating short. Mai was down to 450 life points and Tempest 400. The Gate Guardian was up to 4300.  
  
"Gate Guardian destroy the dragon," ordered Dox.  
  
"They can both command it?" asked Mai.  
  
"Probably, since it is made from both of their monsters," answered Tempest.  
  
"And how exactly do you plan on reaching my dragon from the other side of the maze?" asked Mai to Para and Dox.  
  
"Simple, first Suijin floods it...." explained Para.  
  
"Then Sanga uses it as a conductor to eliminate your monster....." finished Dox. As they said this the Gate Guardian was doing it.  
  
"But you have forgotten that the Harpy's Pet Dragon is also a flying type, giving it an advantage over your land based monster," said Mai. The dragon gained 500 more attack, which wasn't enough to save it, but Mai still was left with 150 life points.  
  
"This is not good," said Joe.  
  
"I don't think they can pull this off," said Tristan.  
  
"It is possible, with the heart of the cards," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"Dang," thought Tempest, "It comes down to me. If I can't do anything this turn we will lose. Dang it! I hope this is a good card." She drew her next card. "Stop Defense! What good is this going to do me? I have a killer at the other end of a stupid maze and...... Hey! Wait! That's it!"  
  
"Quit stalling," said Para.  
  
"It is time you lose," added Dox.  
  
"I don't think so," said Tempest, grinning broadly. "I play the Mystical Sand in attack mode."  
  
"The duelists has gone mad....." said Para.  
  
"It cannot stand up to our might," finished Dox.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Mai.  
  
"You cannot beat the Gate Guardian," said Para and Dox together.  
  
"I agree, I can't," said Tempest, "But I have something far more creative in mind."  
  
"What is she doing?" Bakura asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"I don't know," he replied.  
  
"She seems confident, do you think they'll win?" asked Joe.  
  
"It is possible," admitted Yu-Gi, "A duel can completely turn around in one turn."  
  
"I play," Tempest continued, "Stop Defense."  
  
"What good is that?" asked Para.  
  
"We have no defending monsters," said Dox.  
  
"That is your big move!" yelled Mai angrily.  
  
"Actually," said Tempest, ignoring Mai, "You have one defending monster."  
  
"She is mad," said Para.  
  
"The duelist cannot see, she is mistaken," insisted Dox.  
  
"No, you have overlooked something," said Tempest, "The Labyrinth Wall is a monster card. And I am going to take it out. It only has 500 attack thanks to the Magical Labyrinth, and is completely helpless against my Mystical Sand."  
  
"No!" cried the eliminators as their beloved labyrinth was switched to attack mode.  
  
"Good move," commented the spectators.  
  
"Mystical Sand attack!" ordered Tempest. The wall was demolished and Tempest and Mai had won!  
  
"That was close, thanks," said Mai as they exited the platforms.  
  
"I never would have made it that far into the duel without your help, so thank you," said Tempest.  
  
"They actually won," said Tristan.  
  
"So the eliminators aren't invincible," said Joe, thinking of his sister.  
  
"The heart of the cards never fails," said Yu-Gi.  
  
Croquet stepped forward, ready to announce the next victims, well contestants.  
  
"The next duel will be between the finalist Mako Tsunami and the eliminator Ravi," announced Croquet. Mako leapt to his feet, ready for action. In the shadows, Ravi, the Mexican looking eliminator in poncho and sombrero, stood up. "There will be a five minute break as the stadium is reset."  
  
The machines began to work. Two of the platforms disappeared beneath the floor as the other two moved to the center. The duelist stood to stretch their legs.  
  
"I can't believe I just won," thought Tempest, still in shock, I mean..... I am in the final round. I never thought I would get this far. And I definitely do not want to duel Pegasus. I will drop out.... soon. Not now. I want to see how Mako, Yu-Gi, and Joe do. But after that I am gone. I will never be able to beat Pegasus, plus I have no desire to win. I don't want money or fame. Besides, I can't wait to hear their reactions when I leave." 


	16. Mako's Duel

"Duelists prepare yourselves," said Croquet as the stadium was reset. Mako and Ravi walked up to their platforms.  
  
"Go Mako!" said Tea.  
  
"You can do it!" said Tristan and Bakura.  
  
"You are a champion, you can win this easily!" encouraged Joe.  
  
"Remember who you are dueling for," added Yu-Gi.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Tempest, turning to the group.  
  
"Mako's dad was lost at sea," explained Joe.  
  
"He wants the prize money to buy a boat and try to find him," finished Yu- Gi.  
  
"Oh...." muttered Tempest, shocked. "I hope he wins." The duel was beginning.  
  
"For my opening move," said Ravi, "I play the Flame Ghost in defense mode." His defending monster looked like a burned corpse that was still smoldering. Thin wisps of smoke curled away from its body. Its stats were 1000 and 800.  
  
"Ha!" exclaimed Mako with a smile, "I play the Armored Starfish in attack mode. Due to its type it has an advantage on your fire type!" The starfish appeared. It was about five feet from point to point. It was a dull red color with a blue anemone glowing from the center. It had a defense of 1400, and an attack of 850. But because of its aquatic type its attack was raised to 1350. "Armored Starfish destroy the Flame Ghost!"  
  
The starfish began to whirl furiously, before flying straight through Ravi's monster. His life points were unharmed, though, because the Flame Ghost was in defense mode.  
  
"Fair enough," said the man in a sinister voice. He pulled his sombrero further over his face. The duelists had yet to gaze upon his countenance (Sorry too much Edgar Allen Poe.) "I play the Darkfire Dragon in attack mode." The serpentine flame monster appeared. "Despite of your advantage, it is strong enough to destroy you wimpy crustacean." The dragon reduced the water type to ashes, taking Mako down to 1850 life points.  
  
"I am beginning to see a theme," muttered Mai.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Tempest.  
  
"We have a water based deck versus a fire based deck," explained Mai, "Duelists like to give their decks themes."  
  
"That means Mako should have the advantage through this!" exclaimed Tea.  
  
"Yeah! Go Mako!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"This will be easier than I thought," snickered Mako, "I play the Wow Warrior in attack mode." He laid down his card and the holo-field produced the image of his next monster. It looked like a very ugly blue fish with human arms and legs. Its attack was 1250 but its defense was only 900. "And it also gains a power bonus against your fire type! Wow Warrior destroy the Darkfire Dragon." The fish type blasted the dragon with a solid beam of water and it turned to steam and disappeared. Ravi took his first hit to his life points, and was down to 1750.  
  
Ravi drew his next card. "Charubin the Fire Knight in defense mode," he declared. His next monster was a humanoid monster. It had had a red cape and blue armor. In his hands was a large scythe of fire. He had an attack of 1100 and a defense of 800.  
  
"Then I play Grappler in attack mode, and it will destroy your monster," declared Mako. His next monster was of purple frog like creature with wicked claws and walked upright. It stats were 1300 and 1200. It attacked the fire knight and completely obliterated it.  
  
Ravi was strangely calm, but it was hard to tell because his face was still hidden in shadows. "I play Firewing Pegasus in attack mode," he declared happily. His next monster appeared in a flash of light. This monster was beautiful, straight out of mythology. It was a coal black horse with wings made up of sheer fire. It was a couple of hands* higher than even the largest equines. (*For all of you horse people out there who know what I am talking about.) Its attack was 2250 and it had a defense of 1800.  
  
"My beauty, destroy the Grappler!" ordered Ravi. The flames the horse produced were hotter than any kiln and the Grappler, despite its aquatic advantage. Mako was down to 1300 life points.  
  
"I think we found Ravi's favorite card," muttered Tempest.  
  
"Count that your last victory," said Mako, "First I move my Wow Warrior to defense mode. Then I play this magic card, Umi, and turn the entire field into an ocean. Finally I play the Crazy Fish in attack mode. It gains a power bonus, while yours gains a disadvantage." The holo-field visualized his every move. "Then Crazy Fish, destroy the Pegasus!" The beautiful horse didn't stand a chance with its opponent's increase strength and its attack was reduced to 1750. The crazy fish had oversized brown scales and a green face. It was a swordfish with stats of 2100 and 1700.  
  
"How dare you!" growled Ravi as his life points dropped to 1400. "I play the Vermilion Sparrow in defense mode, along with this magic card." He played his next monster. It was humanoid with trim brown hair. It wore a gold and blue robe, much like a clergyman's. Raw energy sparked from its hands. But it was a pyro type, so its reduced stats were 1400 and 1000.  
  
"I won't fall for your trap," declared Mako, suspiciously eyeing the magic card. "I play Fiend Kraken in attack mode and end my turn now." His next monster appeared beneath the crashing surf. Barely the outline of the oversized white squid was visible. It raised stats were 1700 and 1400. Ravi eyed the ocean's surface with apprehension, but no fear.  
  
"I play the Tripwire Beast in attack mode," declared Ravi as he played his next card, "It is a thunder type, so it also gains a power bonus from the ocean. Now it stale mates your monster." The tripwire beast appeared. It looked like a blue version of Frankenstien's pet dog. It stood on the coast with electricity running between its two antenna. It attack was 1700 and its defense was 1800. "Your move."  
  
"Fine, Crazy Fish attack the Tripwire Beast," ordered Mako. His fish dove beneath the waves, out of sight. It suddenly reappeared, sending water every where, ready to shish-kabob the land-based monster.  
  
"You forgot about my magic card," smiled Ravi, "Eternal Drought beaches your fish."  
  
"No!" cried Mako as his monster was sent to the graveyard.  
  
"And I play this in defense mode, you turn," commented Ravi.  
  
"Ha! Kairyu-Shin, master of the tides, appear!" yelled Mako as he played his next monster.  
  
"I remember that card," commented Yu-Gi below.  
  
"That snake pacts a heck of a punch," agreed Joe.  
  
The azure colored sea-snake appeared. It had a white belly and several white bands. It had a mouth full of deadly teeth, and it thrashed in the ocean, creating large waves on the holo-field's coast. Its raised stats were 2300 and 2000.  
  
"Kairyu-Shin destroy the Tripwire Beast!" ordered Mako. The sea serpent dove into the ocean and created a huge wake of water. It flooded the small bit of land and Ravi's monster was drug out to sea in its wake, never to be seen again. Ravi lost a nice chunk of his life points from that, he was now at 800.  
  
"But that isn't all. Fiend Kraken, destroy his defending card!" yelled Mako. The monster lifted its massive tentacles out of the water and Ravi's defending monster was throttled. He now only had his defending, weaken Vermilion Sparrow left.  
  
"Way to go Mako!"  
  
"You can do it!"  
  
"He's on the ropes!" came the encouragement from the spectators. The remaining eliminators sat in stony silence.  
  
"Don't think you have won yet," cautioned Ravi. "I play another thunder type card, The Immortal of Thunder, in attack mode. Thanks to you, it also receives a power bonus." A blue skinned old man appeared on the field. It had a neatly trimmed beard and carried a large, golden staff. This monster wore a black robe with a red sash. Its eyes blazed like warm coals. "Destroy the kraken!"  
  
The thunder immortal raised its staff and the holo-field showed the skies darken. A bolt of thunder shot down and pierce the surface of the ocean. The Fiend Kraken bellowed in pain before it was dissipated. Mako was brought down to 1000 life points.  
  
"It isn't over yet!" countered Mako, "I play Jellyfish in attack mode." His next monster was barely visible in the water. It was a near transparent blue jelly fish with stats of 1200 and 1500, which were raised to 1700 and 2000. "And to finish my turn I will have my Kairyu-Shin destroy your Vermilion Sparrow." It was done.  
  
Now Ravi had his Immortal of Thunder in play. Mako had his Jellyfish and Kairyu-Shin. Mako had 1000 life points while Ravi only had 800. It was Ravi's turn.  
  
"I play monster card in defense mode," said Ravi with a smile, "Be careful, because it is your turn."  
  
"You waste your turns," said Mako, "I play the Rare Fish in attack mode and it will obliterate your thunder immortal." His next monster was a hybrid. It had the tail of a fish and head of a lion. It also had to massive furry arms. The Rare Fish had raised stats of 2000 and 1700. It dove deep and drug the Immortal of Thunder with it. Ravi was knocked down to 300 life points.  
  
"Go Mako!"  
  
"Your on the home stretch!" encouraged his friends.  
  
"Do not count your victory yet," said Ravi with a sly smile. He pulled his sombrero further over his face. "I play Kaminari Attack in attack mode." He played his new card. The sky of the field darkened, and clouds began to gather. The storm clouds took shape and a bearded head and arms were distinguished. The Kaminari Attack was a cloud. Its stats were 1900 and 1400, but because it was a thunder type its stats became 2400 and 1900. "Kaminari attack, destroy the Kairyu-Shin!" The whole ocean became a gigantic electric field.  
  
"Ha! You have forgotten about my Jellyfish!" gloated Mako, "It neutralizes and incoming electric attack!"  
  
"No!" cried Ravi as his attack did nothing.  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Awesome move Mako!"  
  
"Its in the bag!" encouraged the spectators.  
  
"I play the Deep Sea Shark," declared Mako. The surface didn't even ripple as his monster came into play.  
  
"How can I attack it when I can't even see it," whined Ravi.  
  
"That is the beauty of the sea," said Mako, "It can be placid one minute and wild the next. It hides and conceals its own...."  
  
"Can it," muttered Ravi, "Since your monster is in a stale mate, it is my turn. And I am ready to finish this match."  
  
"No way!" cried Mako, "You are bluffing!"  
  
"Watch and learn," said Ravi with a tilt of his oversized hat. "I activate my monster card that you have forgotten about." He turned his face down card over. "I use the effect of the Electric Lizard. It paralyzes one of your monsters of my choice. And I chose your Jellyfish!"  
  
"No!" cried Mako.  
  
"Oh no!" cried Yu-Gi.  
  
"Why? What is the big deal?" asked Joe.  
  
"The Jellyfish's special power in also paralyzed," explained Tempest.  
  
"What?" asked Tristan.  
  
"Mako is no longer immune to electric attacks!" cried Yu-Gi.  
  
"Now, I use Invigoration, to further raise the attack of my Kaminari Attack," said Ravi. "Kaminari Attack, destroy the Jellyfish!"  
  
"No!" cried Mako as his monster was electrocuted. The holo-field reduced his life points to 0. "NO!!!!"  
  
"Mako," whispered Tea as he was escorted out by the guards.  
  
"That wasn't right," protested Joe as Ravi disappeared.  
  
"Do you realize that it is either you or me next?" asked Yu-Gi to Joe.  
  
Croquet stepped forward to announce the next contestant. Joe and Yu-Gi looked at each other apprehensively. 


	17. Dangers

(AN/ I got an offer, which I took. E-100 Alpha and I will be using each others original characters. He owns Drake, Lara, and their items. If you want to see Tempest make a guest appearance read E-100 Alpha's Legend of Dragoon, sequel to the Dragon Duelist. Because of this, I will be changing one of my eliminators, the black-wearing linebacker one, for this purpose. On with the fic!)  
  
"As the final round draws to a close we will be having a brief intermission for dinner as our two final duelists prepare themselves," Croquet announced.  
  
"What?! What do you mean we have to wait?!" demanded Joe, but he was ignored. Croquet and Kemo stepped forward and ushered the remaining people back into the party room for another buffet.  
  
"How are we supposed to eat?" whined Joe as they walked, "I am too nervous to eat."  
  
"That is a first," snickered Tea.  
  
"Hey," protested Joe.  
  
"Well, its true," replied Tristan. Yu-Gi slipped back.  
  
"Hey, we never congratulated the two of you," he said to Tempest and Mai.  
  
"Um, Thanks," replied Mai.  
  
"And you too, Tempest. You did awesome, considering this is your first tournament," Yu-Gi addressed Tempest.  
  
"Thanks," she said simply, remembering her plan to drop out. They entered the party room and lined-up at the buffet.  
  
The meal progressed slowly, well, at least too slowly for the impatient Joe. He whined through the whole meal, but was still able to polish off several plates of food. It was Tempest who could hardly eat, she was afraid that she had gotten in over her head. The remaining two eliminators ate in silence, in separate parts of the room. Mai was gloating about her victory, and Tristan, Tea, and Bakura were trying to psyche-up their friends.  
  
"Thank you all for participating. The next round will be Yu-Gi Motuo versus Drake," announced Croquet as the meal ended.  
  
"It looks like I am next," muttered Yu-Gi. He got a distant look in his eyes as he thought to himself. "I have to be careful this duel. I can't let what happened last time repeat itself. This presence inside of me can't be allowed to harm anyone. I have to control it, because it almost hurt Kaiba last time."  
  
"Wow! Good luck Yu-Gi," encouraged Tea, and the others agreed.  
  
"I can't believe I have to wait until the end!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Hey, this is in the bag," said Tristan, "The eliminator doesn't stand a chance. This is Yu-Gi he is going up against."  
  
"I appreciate it," said Yu-Gi with a smile.  
  
"Just remember why you duel," said Tea.  
  
"Yeah, grandpa," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"Come on, Yug, or we are going to be left behind," said Joe as the two of them were the last left in the party room. They raced out. Unknown to the duelists, two zombie-like figures were left with their dishes. One was washing in his blue trench coat. The other was left to dry. There was little point in this, since the last one desperately needed a shower.  
  
Back in the arena......  
  
(AN: This / means thoughts between Yami and Yu-Gi.)  
  
Joe and Yu-Gi just raced in, and everyone else was in place.  
  
"It is very tacky to be late for your own duel," said Drake from his platform, as Yu-Gi climbed his. He was by far the youngest eliminator yet. He looked about the age of Yu-Gi and his friends. He had on blue jeans and jacket, which had a strange symbol on its back. He had the typical, double row dueling glove that all the eliminators wore. But his was on top of a golden gauntlet.  
  
"Its time to duel," Yu-Gi and Drake said together as they each received 2000 life points and the duel started.  
  
"This is perfect," said Tea.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Joe.  
  
"I mean, everyone is going to be watching this duel, even Pegasus. It is perfect for us to try to find where they hid the Kaibas!" she explained.  
  
"Of course! That's brilliant!" said Tristan.  
  
"Let's go," suggested Joe.  
  
"But we can't all go and leave Yu-Gi," Bakura pointed out.  
  
"Joe can stay here," suggested Tristan, "That way he won't miss his duel."  
  
"Great idea," said Bakura.  
  
"Aw, man," groaned Joe. The three slipped out; Tea, Tristan, and Bakura. They left the side door partially opened, hoping that they would be able to get back in later.  
  
"I play the Beaver Warrior in attack mode," declared Yu-Gi, beginning the duel. His first monster appeared in a flash of light. It was a gray beaver, complete with bucked teeth and broad, flat tail. It wore bluish medieval armor and walked upright. In its one hand was a sword and in the other was a shield. Its stats were 1200 and 1500.  
  
"A wussy rodent is your first monster? I have seen better in my sleep," said Drake, "I play the Lesser Dragon in attack mode, along with this magic card, which I will play face down." With the stats of 1200 and 1000 it stale-mated the Beaver Warrior. It had scaly green armor and many spiky points. It also walked upright. "Your move."  
  
"I wouldn't brag so much if I were you," said Yu-Gi. "Our monsters are equal. But that is about to change. I play the Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress #1 in attack mode!" His dragon appeared next to the Beaver Warrior. It was sky blue. Its front appendages were wings and it had a mouth full of vicious teeth. This dragon's stats were 1400 and 1200. "Winged Dragon attack!"  
  
"I don't think so," smirked Drake, "You completely forgot about my magic card, which is Spell-Binding Circle. Your monster has lost 500 attack points."  
  
"No! My dragon!" cried Yu-Gi as the Lesser Dragon and Winged Dragon clashed. The blue dragon lost, taking 300 points off of Yu-Gi's life points.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Do you have any idea where we are at?" complained Tea as they got further lost in the labyrinth like passages of Pegasus' castle.  
  
"Sure, I have an excellent sense of direction," said Tristan.  
  
"Then it is official, we are lost," said Tea.  
  
"Well, either Pegasus is keeping his prisoners at the top of the castle or the bottom," Bakura said, logically.  
  
"I am not heading back into that maze! We almost got trapped forever there!" screeched Tea.  
  
"OK, OK, we'll head for that tower," said Tristan pointing out of the window. A lone tower stood higher than all of the other points in the castle.  
  
"And how do you plan on getting there?" asked Tea.  
  
"I have an idea, follow me," said Bakura as he went down another corridor.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Mr. Pegasus, sir, sorry to interrupt," said Kemo as he entered Pegasus' private dining area. There, Pegasus was watching the duels from a large screen. "Several of the guests have wondered off."  
  
"I know that already," snapped Pegasus, "I will take care of them myself, you are to watch the duel between Drake and Yu-Gi."  
  
"Will Drake win?" asked Kemo.  
  
"I trained him, myself," said Pegasus, "He stands the best chance of anyone."  
  
"Yes sir," said Kemo, "I'll return to the arena." He left.  
  
Pegasus stood up and grinned evilly, planning something for Yu-Gi's friends.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Outside of the castle......  
  
"Sorry, miss," said one of the lower ranked guards, "You can't enter, the tournament is over."  
  
"But I am friends with Drake and......" she began.  
  
"No one is allowed in," said the guard, "I have to deport you."  
  
"Too bad," she said, stepping back. A figure was in shadows behind her.  
  
"What the?!" exclaimed the guard.  
  
"Succubus Knight, knock out this idiot!" ordered the girl. The figure proceeded to do so. Then the girl stepped over the unconscious form and entered the castle.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Wow, Bakura," complimented Tea, "You were actually able to get us here!" The trio was standing on the terrace, looking up at the lone tower.  
  
"It wasn't that hard," said Bakura, turning slightly pink.  
  
"Well how do we get in?" asked Tea.  
  
"The door is locked," said Tristan, futilely trying to open it.  
  
"Then we could try to climb up," suggested Bakura.  
  
"Climb! I am wearing high heels!" complained Tea.  
  
"Then you can go back with Joe and Yu-Gi," said Tristan, pulling himself onto the growing vines. Bakura followed.  
  
"No way!" exclaimed Tea, kicking off her shoes and following them. It was quiet a climb and they were all grateful when they landed on the inside.  
  
"I think we found Pegasus' personal study," muttered Bakura.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Don't worry Yug," said Joe, "The duel is just beginning, you can still win this."  
  
"I can't believe Yu-Gi walked into such an obvious trap," muttered Mai, "He seems a little distracted."  
  
"He's just getting warmed up," said Joe.  
  
"Now, I play," said Drake, "The Koumori Dragon in attack mode!" His dark violet dragon appeared, ready for action. It spread its wings wide. Its attack was 1500. "Destroy the Beaver Warrior!" The dragon launched a flame of pure fire, and the Beaver Warrior disappeared with a shriek. Yu-Gi was down to 1400 life points.  
  
/Let me help you, Yu-Gi,/ said a voice in Yu-Gi's mind. /No. I won't let you hurt anyone./  
  
"I play," declared Yu-Gi after he had drawn his next card, "The Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode." His monstrous monster appeared. It looked like a large humanoid statue that was made with no curved lines. It had a defense of 2000.  
  
"Good move Yug," said Joe, "Build your defenses."  
  
"It isn't a good move," said Mai. "He needs to start paying attention or he is going to get his butt kicked."  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Well," said Tristan, "It is obvious that none of the Kaibas are here."  
  
"Maybe there is a key or a hint as to where he is holding them," suggested Tea. Her eyes were then drawn to a beautiful painting of a woman. She had creamy brown hair and the pretty almond eyes. She looked at the viewer with a sad, sweet smile and an expression of true love.  
  
"That is a beautiful painting," commented Bakura.  
  
"How dare you break in here," said a new voice.  
  
"Uh-Oh," muttered Tristan. Pegasus was standing in the doorway, blocking the only escape, save for the window.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Defending?" asked Drake, "Are you that afraid of me? Fine, I play Ryu- Kishin Powered in attack mode and defend my Lesser Dragon and Koumori Dragon." His new monster appeared. It was pale pink in color and strongly resembled a mecha. It had wicked claws and jaws. Several of its joints were dark violet. Its attack was 1600, but its defense was only 1200. "Your move, but you had better play better. I thought I would be dueling a tough opponent, but apparently I was wrong."  
  
"You won't be bragging for long," said Yu-Gi, "I play the Curse of Dragon in attack mode." His next monster appeared. It was the skeleton of a dragon, the resembled the ones in Japanese mythology, having no rear feet. Its wings filled most of the available space.  
  
"He needs to start using magic cards," muttered Mai.  
  
"Curse of Dragon, destroy the Ryu-Kishin!" ordered Yu-Gi. It soared high and incinerated Drake's monster, taking him down 400 life points.  
  
"Great job, Yug!" encouraged Joe.  
  
"He's just lucky," muttered Mai. "He is holding back."  
  
One of the side doors of the arena opened and in walked a girl, who looked around with apprehension. No one noticed her arrival, which she was grateful for. She had silky violet hair, which was hanging on her neck in strings. It perfectly matched her violet sweater, which had seen better days. She wore blue jeans, but the right leg was completely missing just above the knee. Around her neck was a golden locket with something indistinguishable carved on the front. She slipped in quietly. The guards were to busy with the duel to notice her as she sat down in the dwindling audience. She sat next to Tempest and Martin. Martin saw her and looked away, shyly. Tempest heard someone sit down and turned her attention away from the duel.  
  
"Who's there?" asked Tempest.  
  
"Shhh," cautioned the newcomer. "I'm Lara."  
  
"I am Tempest," said Tempest, "Are you a finalist or an eliminator?"  
  
"Um, neither," Lara replied, "I am here to visit a close friend."  
  
"Here?" asked Tempest.  
  
"Yes," she answered.  
  
"I play Dragon Treasures!" declared Drake, "It raises the attack of my Koumori Dragon by 500, equal to your Curse of Dragon because I am switching it back into attack mode."  
  
"Drake!" Lara exclaimed at a whisper.  
  
"He's your friend?" asked Tempest.  
  
"Yes," replied Lara. "I missed him so much." She said this with a note of longing in her voice.  
  
"You love him, don't you?" asked Tempest, recognizing the tome instantly.  
  
"....Yes," she replied. "We used to be a couple until his dad forced me to leave."  
  
"That is so tragic," replied Tempest, thinking of Luther, "It sounds like Romeo and Juliet."  
  
"I guess so," agreed Lara.  
  
"If you are done, then I play the Feral Imp in attack mode. Plus I use the Horn of the Unicorn to raise its attack by 500!" yelled Yu-Gi, "And I also play another magic card face down."  
  
"Way to turn it around," encouraged Joe as his friend's monster appeared. It was a green canine like gargoyle creature with grass green wings and a spiral white horn on its forehead. Its eyes went pure white as the Horn of the Unicorn was activated. Its stats went from 1300 and 1400 to1800 and 1900.  
  
"Attack the Lesser Dragon," ordered Yu-Gi. The imp summoned a strong burst of light from its horn and the dragon dissipated. But because it was in defense mode Drake's life points remained the same at 1600, while Yu-Gi only had 1400.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"So, you have nothing to say for yourselves," said Pegasus. He threw Tea's shoes at her disdainfully.  
  
"Pegasus, you sleezball," snarled Tristan.  
  
"You sneak into my room, and yet, I'm the sleezball," mocked Pegasus.  
  
"Give Mokuba back," said Tea, "Yu-Gi won his freedom in a duel. He isn't you prisoner any more!"  
  
"No, I won't," said Pegasus. "And you shall all be punished for trespassing!" His Millennial Eye began to glow and before any of them could react they were surrounded by shadows.  
  
"EEK! What is this place?!" screamed Tea.  
  
"It is the Shadow Realm," answered Bakura, with a note of fear in his voice.  
  
"This can't be good," muttered Tristan.  
  
"You'd better learn to like it," said Pegasus with a smile that made you want to strangle him. "You will be staying here for a very long time."  
  
"I don't think so!" cried Tristan as he charged Pegasus. But another light came from the Millennial Eye and Tristan froze, paralyzed.  
  
"You make it seem like I am giving you a choice," said Pegasus.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Kaiser Dragon, attack mode," declared Drake as he made his next move. The next dragon appeared. It was golden and serpentine and lacked wings. Its stats were 2300 and 2000. He still had his Koumori Dragon as well. Yu-Gi had his Giant Soldier of Stone, Curse of Dragon, and powered-up Feral Imp. "But I won't stop there. I play Remove Trap to eliminate your face down magic card."  
  
"How did you know it was a trap card?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"Because you are playing like an amateur. I was expecting more from the duelist who beat Kaiba," said Drake.  
  
"Grrr," growled Yu-Gi. /Let me help you,/ the spirit asked again.  
  
/No! I can do this on my own! I do not need you to hurt someone else,/ Yu- Gi retorted.  
  
/If you don't let me help, everyone is going to lose!/ the spirit protested.  
  
"Mai is right," thought Tempest, "Yu-Gi does seem distracted."  
  
"Drake is going easy on him," muttered Lara.  
  
"What?" asked Tempest.  
  
"Drake is better than this," she explained, "I think he is holding back. It probably has something to do with his father....."  
  
"Who is his father?" asked Tempest.  
  
"You don't want to know," Lara replied.  
  
"Why?" asked Tempest.  
  
"I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone," said Lara. Tempest agreed. Lara whispered the name in her ear.  
  
"WHAT!!!!!????" cried Tempest, attracting unwanted attention.  
  
"I told you, you didn't want to know," replied Lara.  
  
"And to finish my turn," declared Drake, "Kaiser Dragon destroy the Feral Imp." Yu-Gi cringed from the intense light and when it stopped he was down to 900 life points.  
  
"Still believe me that Yu-Gi isn't holding back?" Mai asked Joe.  
  
"It is just luck," replied Joe. Louder he said, "Come on Yug, do this for Gramps!"  
  
"HA! I play Gaia the Fierce Knight in attack mode," said Yu-Gi. His next monster wore blue and violet armor and carried two lances. He rode on a deep violet horse and had an attack of 2300.  
  
"Big deal, it still can't beat my Kaiser," remarked Drake.  
  
"Not yet," said Yu-Gi, "But I use the magic card Polymerization and combined it with my Curse of Dragon, creating Gaia the Dragon Champion." A swirling vortex engulfed both monsters and when it was done the knight was on top of the Curse of Dragon. Its attack was raised 2600 and its defense was 2100.  
  
"Gaia, eliminate the Kaiser Dragon!" ordered Yu-Gi. This move sent Drake down to 1300 life points.  
  
"Then I counter with Ryu-Ran," declared Drake. (AN/ Joe Marusa, author, told me Ryu is Japanese for dragon.) His next monster appeared with an attack of 2200 and a defense 2600. It was a strange dragon, hiding inside of a blue spotted white eggshell. Reddish wings and legs poked out, as well as demonic red eyes in shadows, but that was it. "Destroy the stone soldier!" And it was done. Yu-Gi's life points were unharmed, though.  
  
"And to end my turn I move the Koumori Dragon to defense mode," finished Drake.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Enjoy the rest of you lives," gloated Pegasus as he prepared to leave the three teens in the Shadow Realm.  
  
"Pegasus, no," said a strange voice. All eyes turned to Bakura. He had an evil gleam in his eyes and was smiling. His hair was spikier and his voice had lost its accent, and grown more sinister. His Millennial Ring was glowing softly. "This isn't over."  
  
Both millennial objects began to try to over power the other. In a sudden flash of light everyone cried out. An exit was opened to the real world and they all got sucked through.  
  
Yami Bakura raised his head, exhausted. Everyone else was unconscious. Bakura last thoughts were on the Millennial Eye.  
  
"They must not remember this," he said. His ring again began to glow, wiping everyone's memories of the incident. Pegasus was left alone in his private study. The teens were sprawled out in the hallway, and Bakura collapsed. His hair reverted to normal as his spirit lost control.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"I play the Dark Magician in attack mode," declared Yu-Gi as he played his favorite card. A black haired humanoid monster appeared on the field. It had intense blue eyes and carried a blue staff that looked like a cornucopia at the top. He was wearing a strange violet outfit with a matching conical hat. He also had a darker violet cape. Its attack was 2500 and its defense was 2000.  
  
"Say good-bye to your Ryu-Ran. Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" ordered Yu-Gi. A wave of darkness eliminated the secretive dragon and brought Drake down to 1000 life points.  
  
"I play the Red-Eyes Black Dragon in attack mode!" said Drake, starting his next turn.  
  
"Wow! Good card," muttered Joe. It was in his deck as well. A angular dragon appeared, sheer black, of course. It had sheek black wings and an attack of 2400.  
  
"Then I play two magic cards and end my turn," finished Drake.  
  
"Then I play a magic card too," declared Yu-Gi. /Yu-Gi, no!/ the spirit pleaded. /Let me help you./  
  
/I can't risk it. You would do anything to win, even if it meant hurting someone. I can't trust you,/ replied Yu-Gi.  
  
"And now Gaia attack the Red-Eyes!" ordered Yu-Gi.  
  
"Do you deliberately like triggering my traps?" asked Drake in disbelief. "Acid Trap Hole activates. Gaia goes to the graveyard."  
  
"Then Dark Magician attack," said Yu-Gi.  
  
"Negate Attack," said Drake, revealing his last magic card. "And now, I play the Flute of Summoning Dragon and add another Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the field."  
  
"Grrr," Yu-Gi growled.  
  
"I see you like that so much, so I will make it even more interesting. I use Dragon Claw and raise one of their attacks to 2900," said Drake, "And I know you played a trap card last turn, so I'll have my weaker dragon activate it." The first Red-Eyes went to attack, but as Drake predicted, it was instantly sent to the graveyard. "I play another magic card. Your move, since that was the dragon I summoned this turn and it can't attack yet."  
  
"I play the Summoned Skull in attack mode and combine it with the Magical Mist, raising its attack to 3000," declared Yu-Gi. "Attack!"  
  
"I just played another Negate Attack," declared Drake, "No damage done."  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"What? Where are we? What happened?" asked Tea as she woke up.  
  
"I don't know," replied Bakura, rubbing his scalp.  
  
"Weren't we looking for Mokuba and Seto?" asked Tristan.  
  
"That's right!" exclaimed Tea.  
  
"I wonder how Yu-Gi is doing?" Bakura thought out-loud.  
  
"Tea, you go check on him. Bakura and I will head to the dungeons," said Tristan.  
  
"OK," Tea said as she ran off. After several turns she stopped. "What am I doing? I am completely lost."  
  
"Do you know where to go?" Tristan asked Bakura.  
  
"Of course," replied Bakura as his spirit took over again.  
  
"What happened to your voice?" asked Tristan, getting nervous. Bakura just chuckled.  
  
"Come on," said Yami Bakura as they headed to the dungeons.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"I play the Meteor Dragon in attack mode and use the magic card Polymerization," said Drake, "Melding my Red-Eyes with it, creating the unstoppable Meteor Black Dragon!" His monsters merged and a dragon with 3500 attack was created. It stood upright and was as intense as molten lead. It bellowed shaking the arena.  
  
"Go, Drake!" whispered Lara.  
  
"Meteor B. Dragon attack the Summoned Skull," ordered Drake. Yu-Gi was sent down to 400 life points.  
  
"Come on Yu-Gi, you can do it," said Joe.  
  
"Not if he doesn't face his fears," muttered Mai.  
  
Yu-Gi, stop holding me back,/ begged Yami. /If not you will lose your Grandpa, Mokuba, and Seto!/  
  
/I can't trust you! You almost seriously hurt Kaiba!/ replied Yu-Gi.  
  
"Come on Yu-Gi, pull yourself together and quit acting like an amateur who is afraid of his own shadow!" yelled Mai.  
  
"He doesn't need your help!" snapped Joe, "Quit messing with or minds. He doesn't need you to throw off his game like you tried on me."  
  
"You are off kilter enough without me," Mai shot back. "And I am not trying to discourage Yu-Gi. The two of you taught me more in one duel than I have ever learned in all the duels I won. I realized that I only used those cheap tricks because I wasn't confident enough in myself, or my skills. I was forced to examine myself when I lost to you. I was jealous of the confidence that you had in yourself, and the confidence your friends had in you. I completely changed my strategy since then, and now trust myself completely. When Yu-Gi lost to Kaiba he lost that confidence in himself. He needs to get it back and realize how much he has going for him."  
  
"Wow, Mai," said Joe, blown away by her speech.  
  
/Yu-Gi,/ the spirit said again, /I never meant to hurt anyone. I was only trying to help your grandpa. Did he once tell you to trust in the power of the Millennial Puzzle?/  
  
/Yes,/ confirmed Yu-Gi.  
  
/Please, we need to work together. I vow never to do anything again that is against your will. Will you please let me help?/  
  
/OK, but as long as I am running the show,/ replied Yu-Gi. He drew his next card. "I use the magic card Magical Boxes." Tempest noticed his voice had changed again.  
  
"What?" asked Drake.  
  
"Watch. First a box is formed around my Dark Magician. Then another one forms around your Meteor Black Dragon," explained Yu-Gi.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Drake.  
  
"Then, swords rain down on the box with my Dark Magician in it," said Yu- Gi.  
  
"Are you sacrificing your own monster!?" exclaimed Drake.  
  
"Did I?" asked Yu-Gi as the boxes opened. The monsters had switched placed. The Dark Magician exited the dragon's box unharmed. The dragon was shish-kabob inside of the other one.  
  
"No!" cried Drake. "Fine! Hyozanryu in attack mode, with Dragon Nails!" His new monster was diamond blue with the typical dragon anatomy. Its raised attack and defense was 2600 and 3300. This was his only monster, just like Yu-Gi only had the Dark Magician. Drake was leading; 1000 life points to 400.  
  
"Hyozanryu destroy the Dark Magician!" ordered Drake. Yu-Gi's remaining monster was obliterated, bring him down to 300 life points.  
  
"It isn't over yet!" yelled Yu-Gi. "Mystical Elf in defense mode, plus the magic card Just Desserts. You lose 500 life points for each monster you have in play." Drake was down to 500 life points, total.  
  
"Seiyaryu attack mode and destroy the Mystical Elf," ordered Drake. "You can't beat me, you cards are to weak!"  
  
/Trust me,/ said Yu-Gi's spirit.  
  
/I do,/ replied Yu-Gi. He breathed in and drew his next card.  
  
"Swords of Revealing Light!" he declared as he played it.  
  
"Grrr. So you stalled for three turns, my monsters will only get stronger," Drake said.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Bakura, where are you?" called Tristan. Somehow the two of them had been separated.  
  
"Hey you! You aren't supposed to be here!" yelled a guard as he caught Tristan.  
  
"Um," muttered Tristan before turning and running.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Tristan?" wondered Yami Bakura, looking around. He touched his Millennial Ring and began to sense where everyone was. He quickly found Tristan who was quickly running out of room to run to. "That baka," muttered Bakura before following.  
  
"I warn you, I know karate," said Tristan as he was cornered by three guards.  
  
"Get him," one guard ordered as they all charged forward, Tristan cringed.  
  
"Chain Destruction!" yelled a new voice. Tristan turned and saw Bakura, holding a card over his head. A glowing chain encircled the guards. They tried to break free, but the chains were to strong. Their protests fell on deaf ears.  
  
"Come on, the boy isn't far away," said Bakura as he brushed passed Tristan and turned a corner, completely ignoring the whining guards. There, in a jail cell was Mokuba, who was sitting there like a zombie.  
  
"Come on! Let's get him out of here!" said Tristan as he tried to tug on the bars. Yami Bakura walked forward with the key, which he had pilfered from the guards and opened it. Tristan raced in and picked up the small boy.  
  
"Now I have what I want," said Yami Bakura. "That boy will be my new host. This body betrayed me. I will take one that has no spirit, no mind, no will of its own. I will rule without a struggle."  
  
"What? Bakura?" asked Tristan. He began to remember about Bakura's dark side. "What did you do with him!? Let him go!"  
  
"I don't think so!" Yami Bakura yelled back. His Millennial Ring began to glow.  
  
"Hey! What are you punks doing?!" another guard yelled. He was standing with two other guards.  
  
"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," muttered Tristan. He shifted Mokuba so the boy was easier to carry and began to run.  
  
"Man," he complained, "I should have been on the track team."  
  
"Hey! Where are you going?!" yelled two other guards as they appeared in front of Tristan. Blocking his exit.  
  
"Not this way," he replied before doing a 180 and sprinting away. Bakura was on his heels, so were the five guards.  
  
Tristan turned a sharp right and found himself on a narrow ledge of land, outside of the castle. "I need a plan."  
  
"We have you cornered, there is no where else to go. Give up," ordered one of the guards.  
  
"Why when we can have fun?" said Yami Bakura, who was between Tristan and the guards. "Man-Eater Bug." He held his next card high. His Millennial Ring was glowing. A circle formed in front of him. It looked like black mist. A shadowy figure stepped out of this circle.  
  
"What is that?!" exclaimed on of the guards as he saw this happen.  
  
"He just brought the monster on that card to life!" exclaimed another.  
  
"He's going to sic it on us!" added a third.  
  
"Way to be pessimistic," muttered the fourth.  
  
"RUN!" yelled the leader. The five turned and ran, the Duel Monster right on their heels. In a few seconds they were out of screaming range.  
  
"Gotta think of something," thought Tristan as he watched this. He was backing up outside, onto the narrow ledge above the ocean.  
  
"Present day humans are so fun to terrorize, don't you think?" asked Bakura, with his back still to Tristan.  
  
"No, but then again, I am just a present day human," replied Tristan as he took his position. He set Mokuba down and pressed himself with his back flat against the castle.  
  
"And now to deal with the boy," said Yami Bakura. He stepped outside and blinked into the sunlight. Tristan used this time to attack. He jumped and knocked Bakura to the ground. He ripped the Millennial Ring off of his friend's neck and threw it into the sea. Bakura shook, then went back to normal.  
  
"Good-bye evil spirit and don't come back," said Tristan  
  
"Tristan?" he asked, still disoriented, "What happened?"  
  
"I'll explain on the way back," said Tristan as he picked up Mokuba again.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Fine, I will prepare my forces," said Drake, still mad about being frozen for three turns. "Serpent Night Dragon in attack mode and Dragon Treasure on the Seiyaryu." His new dragon had the stats of 2350 and 2150. The Seiyaryu had an attack now of 3000.  
  
/Is there anything we can do to beat him?/ Yu-Gi asked the spirit of the puzzle.  
  
/Yes, watch,/ he replied.  
  
"Reborn the Monster," declared Yu-Gi, "Return Gaia the Fierce Knight."  
  
"A waste of a move, it is still too weak," said Drake, "And now I play Mountain. It changes the terrain to a mountain, raising the stats of my dragons by 500 each! And I also play the Stone Dragon in attack mode." His new monster had raised stats of 2500 and 2800. (AN/ I am not describing these because I already did in earlier chapters.)  
  
/This isn't good,/ Yu-Gi thought.  
  
/There is only one thing we can do,/ Yami Yu-Gi replied, /We must open the Gates of Chaos and summon the Black Luster Soldier./  
  
/Gates of Chaos! You mean a ritual?/ asked Yu-Gi.  
  
/Exactly, but we many not have enough turns,/ the spirit sounded worried.  
  
/We can do it. Everyone is counting on us, and we aren't going to disappoint them,/ Yu-Gi replied.  
  
/Of course, it is silly of me to doubt,/ Yami Yu-Gi replied. /But now we must take a risk./  
  
"I play Kuriboh in attack mode," announced Yu-Gi.  
  
"Kuriboh!" cried Joe.  
  
"That little hair ball is good for nothing, except maybe choking a cat," muttered Mai.  
  
"Are you trying to mock my dueling skills?" asked Drake.  
  
"Not at all," replied Yu-Gi with a smile.  
  
"Very well. I play the magic card Stop Defense. As long it is in play you cannot defend any monsters. And next turn my dragons will be free and they will obliterate you," said Drake.  
  
"Then for my turn I will play two magic cards and end this duel," announced Yu-Gi.  
  
"You are bluffing!" cried Drake.  
  
"Watch. First I play Brain Control. It lets me control one of your monsters for my turn, and I chose your Serpent Night Dragon," said Yu-Gi. Drake gave him an evil eye. "Next I play the Black Luster Ritual." He held up the card he had just drawn.  
  
"A ritual!?" cried Drake.  
  
"The legendary Black Luster Soldier," muttered Tempest.  
  
"The three monsters I control are sacrificed and that energy is used to open the Gates of Chaos, releasing the Black Luster Soldier," said Yu-Gi. The holo-field recreated this powerful magic. In a flash of light the Serpent Night Dragon, Gaia the Fierce Knight, and Kuriboh disappeared and melded together. A doorway with crossed swords appeared. The light grew brighter, then faded, revealing the legendary Black Luster Soldier. It wore evil looking gold and blue armor and carried a large curved sword and shield. It stats were the same as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon at 3000 and 2500.  
  
"No! Drake!" cried Lara.  
  
"So that is the legendary Black Luster Soldier," muttered Mai in amazement.  
  
"Black Luster Soldier destroy the Stone Dragon!" ordered Yu-Gi. The soldier lacerated the dragon and knocked Drake down to 0 life points.  
  
"Way to go Yu-Gi!" cried Bakura, Tristan, and Tea, who had all just entered. Bakura and Tristan had found Tea on their way back. She had gotten hopelessly lost. Tristan had stopped by his room and put Mokuba's unconscious body in it.  
  
"Yeah! You did it Yug!" cried Joe.  
  
"The midget was actually able to pull it off," muttered Mai as the two duelists exited the platform.  
  
"Good duel," said Drake, shaking Yu-Gi's hand. "I haven't seen better."  
  
"Thanks, you put up a good match yourself," replied Yu-Gi, being normal again.  
  
"Wow, one of the eliminators actually knows how to be civil," said Joe as he approached.  
  
"Hey, the stadium is all yours," smirked Drake.  
  
"What? Oh, yeah....." muttered Joe, he was the next and last finalist. The duelists seemed to be gathering in one spot to congratulate Yu-Gi. Tempest, Martin, and Lara were the last over. No one saw them approach. Lara went up and tapped Drake on the shoulder and he turned around.  
  
"Lara?!" he cried in surprise, shock and wonder. 


	18. Joe's Duel

Moonlady: The nest meeting of the Penguin Opposition Force shall come to order.  
  
Star *to Gema:* She took her line back, didn't she.  
  
Gema J. Gall: Yep.  
  
Lady Akhana: Is there any new business?  
  
Pharaoh Light: Yeah, we installed the new security system.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: We are one step closer to stopping them. *Penguin light turns yellow*  
  
Moonlady: Someone is coming! *Grabs mustard*  
  
DC Kantek: So is this the famous Penguin Opposition Force?  
  
Gema J Gall: Chill, I know him.  
  
Star: Who are you?  
  
DC Kantel: I'm DC Kantel, but call me Demon Child.  
  
Pharaoh Light: *To Gema* Where did you find him?  
  
Moonlady: New member?  
  
Demon Child: Of course. I heard about the penguins and immediately tried to do something. I found them trying to integrate themselves into chocolate syrup.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: The penguins are spreading to other condiments. That can't be good.  
  
Star: I have to look into this. *heads to her laptop.*  
  
Lady Akhana: We need to send troops!  
  
Gema J Gall: We need more troops! We need to start e-mailing us at princess8light@yahoo.com and princessakhana@yahoo.com.  
  
Lady Akhana: *to Gema* Where did you find this guy?  
  
Gema J Gall: *To Akhana* You introduced me to him.  
  
Moonlady: We have a bigger problem.  
  
Star: What?  
  
Moonlady: Please explain, pharaohs.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: Burger King, McDonalds, and Wendy's cannot be trusted. They are completely controlled by the penguins.  
  
Demon Child: What makes you say that?  
  
Pharaoh Light: They keep their ketchup in plain sight, but the mustard they hide. When we went to ask for some they spent forever trying to find it, then they said they were out.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: They keep large tubs of ketchup everywhere. Fast food places are penguin factories!  
  
Lady Akhana: We are going to need more help.  
  
Demon Child: I'll get my piranha bunnies.  
  
Gema J Gall: That happened to me before too. Why didn't I realize it?  
  
Moonlady: I will start sneaking mustard onto menus and recipes. It is time to play dirty!  
  
Star: Let's close this meeting before we are found out.  
  
All: Agreed.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
The long lost couple stared at each other in disbelief for a few seconds. Then, as if finally realizing he wasn't seeing an illusion, Drake embraced Lara, and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.  
  
"I thought I had lost you," he muttered in her ear.  
  
"How sweet," cooed Tea and Mai. Embarrassed, the couple pulled away.  
  
"Eh-hem," Croquet cleared his throat, "The final duel will now take place between Darren and Joe. Duelists prepare yourselves." Joe gulped in nervousness. The last eliminator, who was dressed in full cowboy attire, tilted his hat and walked forward.  
  
The group began to break up. Yu-Gi, Tea, Tristan, and Bakura crowded around Joe to give him some last minute encouragement. Drake and Lara walked hand in hand back to the seats. Tempest was searching for Martin's hand to help lead her and Mai was watching everything. The last eliminator was taking his place on his platform.  
  
"You drop your card, Tempest," said Mai as she noticed it laying on the ground.  
  
"What?" asked Tempest as she received the card. "I don't think this is mine." She felt its surface. "All of mine have 3D writing on them."  
  
"But who else uses a Succubus Knight?" asked Mai.  
  
"Oh," said Lara, guiltily, "It must be mine. I dropped it." She took the card and put it in her pocket as the spectators took their seats.  
  
"Duelist begin," said Croquet as Joe finally mounted the platform.  
  
"I play," said Darren with a long Texas draw, "The Ogre of the Black Shadow in defense mode." His first monster appeared with stats of 1200 and 1400. It looked like a bulky human, but the skin was all wrong. It was incredibly hairy, part of that was contributed to a cat on its shoulder.  
  
"Then I play Tiger Axe in attack mode," countered Joe. His monster was a warrior cat. It was a tiger that walked upright and wore full metal armor. It wielded an oversized battle ax and had an attack of 1300, which wasn't enough to beat the defense of the Ogre of the Black Shadow.  
  
"OK, partner," said Darren as he thought through his next move, "I will play the Destroyer Golem in attack mode." His next stone monster appeared next to the Ogre of the Black Shadows. It had an attack of 1500 and defense 1000. It had a mechanical right arm and was the color of sandstone. "Destroy the Tiger Axe!" It crushed Joe's monster into oblivion, knocking Joe down to 1800 life points.  
  
"Its OK Joe."  
  
"Don't lose focus."  
  
"It is just the beginning. You can catch up," encouraged his friends.  
  
"I never thought I'd see you again," Drake said to Lara, looking her in the eyes.  
  
"It was so hard, but I found my way back to you," she replied, scooting her seat closer to him.  
  
"That is so cute," cooed Mai as she saw the couple.  
  
"I remember being love like that," muttered Tempest, still hurting from losing Luther.  
  
"What happened?" asked Tea, being a girl and attracted by the love story.  
  
"Garoozis in attack mode," declared Joe as he played his next monster. It, too, was an animalistic monster. It was a reptile with a lizard body and a dragon's head. It wore medieval armor and had an attack of 1800 and a defense of 1500. "Attack the Destroyer Golem!"  
  
"No!" cried Darren as his monster was shredded by Garoozis' ax. He lost 300 life points.  
  
"Fine, I play this in defense mode," he declared as he played a monster card face down. "I now have two monsters protecting my life points. Your turn."  
  
"For Serenity, I play Baby Dragon in defense mode," declared Joe. "I also play a magic card." He laid his two cards down and his new monster appeared in a flash of light. It was a cute little orange dragon, with tiny wings. It exhaled a small puff of smoke. Its stats were 1200 and 700. "And Garoozis destroy the black shadow ogre." It was done.  
  
"I am not going to let you use your Time Wizard!" yelled Darren, glaring at the face down magic card. "I play another Ogre of the Black Shadow and the Sword of Ruin." His next monster appeared with raised stats of 1700 and 1900. "Destroy the Baby Dragon!"  
  
"No!" cried Tristan from the audience.  
  
"Ha! Kunai with Chain activates!" cheered Joe. A chain appeared from his side of the field and snared the charging ogre as his magic card was revealed. It had the added bonus of decreasing any power-ups. The chain was held by Garoozis. The reptile destroyed the ogre, bring Darren down to 1200 life points.  
  
"And now I play the Flame Swordsman in attack mode," declared Joe, slamming his favorite card on the field. "Join with Garoozis, whose stats are raised because of Kunai with Chain." His next monster was a human, fully decked-out out in armor, including cape. His sword was made of fire. His attack was 1800. "And to end my turn, my Flame Swordsman will destroy your face down card." His knight charged forward and attacked the glowing tile, which represented Darren's defending monster. Before that monster could materialize it was destroyed.  
  
"I just thought of something," commented Tempest below, "How come Darren thought that Joe had a Time Wizard?"  
  
"It is all because of Pegasus," growled Drake. Lara put her hand on his shoulder and he calmed down.  
  
"What is going on here?" asked Tempest, remembering her reasons for wanting out.  
  
"You don't want to know," muttered Drake, shaking his head. He turned his attention back to the conversation he was having with Lara.  
  
"Are you ready for this?" asked Darren with a cocky smile. "I play Rock Ogre Grotto #1 in attack mode, plus three magic cards. The first is Metal Morph."  
  
"Metal what?" asked Joe.  
  
"This could be bad," muttered Yu-Gi. Louder he said, "Be on your guard, Joe."  
  
"The Metal Morph turns selected monsters into machines," explained Darren, "My Rock Ogre Grotto turns into Steel Ogre Grotto." His first rock type which looked like a square piece of granite with equally square appendages. One its head was a crown of spikes. But it was consumed by light and transformed. His new monster was gray steel in color and was built of sheets of the metal. It had two strong arms, ready to crush its enemies. Its attack was 1400 and its defense was 1800.  
  
"Next I play the Machine Conversion Factory to up-grade my monster," he declared. There was a sound like metal being cut and high-tech armor appeared on the ogre. "Finally, I play Magic Jammer. By sacrificing a magic card from my hand I can eliminate one of your magic cards on the field. And I chose Kunai with Chain."  
  
"No!" cried Joe as his monster's stats reverted to normal.  
  
"Steel Ogre attack the Garoozis!" ordered Darren. Joe's warrior was crushed into pieces and he was left with 1700 life points.  
  
"Then I play this magic card and defend my Flame Swordsman," said Joe.  
  
"That's it?" taunted Darren, "Then I play my Rock Ogre Grotto #2 in defense mode and I'll destroy your Flame Swordsman with my Steel Ogre Grotto. Attack!" His new Rock Ogre Grotto had stats of 700 and 1400. It looked like a crudely carved boulder with long arms and red eyes. As it appeared the Steel Ogre Grotto pounded to Flame Swordsman to the graveyard.  
  
"It isn't over yet, Joe," yelled Tea.  
  
"Remember your sister," added Yu-Gi.  
  
"Yes, for Serenity," said Joe as he drew his next card, "Yes! Time Wizard!" He declared as he played his next card. A clock with an actual face and hands appeared. It also had a cape, top hat, and staff. "Time Roulette." The hand on its staff began to turn. There were two symbols on it. On was a skull, is the hand stopped on that Joe would lose life points. But luck was with him and it stopped on the other.  
  
"All right!" cheered Joe and his friends as the field transformed into a time vortex. A thousand years was passing down below, aging Joe's Baby Dragon into Thousand Dragon. His older dragon was sand brown with a broad mouth. It had long horns that curled around its head and massive bark brown wings. Its attack was 2400 and its defense was 2000.  
  
"Hey, why didn't his monsters age?" asked Joe as he looked at the field. Every other time he had used Time Wizard his opponents' monsters had aged to dust.  
  
"Stone is eternal, you can't hurt me," gloated Darren.  
  
"Yeah, well, watch this. Thousand Dragon attack the Steel Ogre Grotto!" ordered Joe. The blew an intense flame and destroyed the ogre, bring Darren down to 700 life points.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Great job!"  
  
"For Serenity!" encouraged Joe's friends.  
  
"So you want to play that way, fine. I use another Metal Morph on my Rock Ogre Grotto, creating the second Steel Ogre Grotto," declared Darren. His newest ogre was the most impressive yet. It had platinum perfect armor, which was held in place my golden strips. It was virtually seamless and its massive arms represented its power. It had an attack of 1900 and a defense of 2200.  
  
"But that isn't all," said Darren with his accent, "I will use Machine Conversion Factory to further raise its stats." The Steel Ogre Grotto was now at 2400 and 2700. "Then I play Pillage to steal a magic card from your hand."  
  
"You can't do that!" protested Joe.  
  
"Yes I can and I chose Shield and Sword," said Darren with an arrogant smile. Joe reluctantly out his card on the platform where it was taken to Darren. "I am going to use it this turn." Shield and Sword switches the attack and defense points of every monster on the field for one turn. It was activated and Darren's monster came out stronger, while Joe's was weaker.  
  
"Then, I play another magic card face down and I will let my Steel Ogre finish my turn. Attack!" The Steel Ogre Grotto approached the Thousand Dragon and crushed the life out of it, bring Joe down by 700 life points.  
  
"Grrr," growled Joe. He drew his next card and thought, "I don't have anything I can do yet. I'd better defend."  
  
"Battle Ox in defense mode," he declared, laying down another animalistic warrior. It was a bull in red armor, wielding a sharp battle ax. Its defense was only 1000, not enough to stand up the Steel Ogre Grotto, even though its attack and defense had reverted to normal.  
  
"Then I play the Stone Ogre Grotto in attack mode and destroy your defending card," declared Darren, putting Joe in more trouble. "Plus, let's not forget a magic card, face down."  
  
"Gilita the Dark Knight in attack mode," said Joe as he began his next turn. His knight wore a violet and green robe and carried a thin, long sword. Its stats were 1850 and 1500. "And I use Dark Energy." Gilita's attack was now 2350. "Destroy the Stone Ogre!"  
  
"I don't think so," countered Darren, "Mesmeric Control card activates."  
  
"What? No!" protested Joe as his monster was confused and stats were reduced.  
  
"And now, Steel Ogre Grotto, destroy the knight!" ordered Darren for his turn. Joe was down to 450 life points.  
  
"Then I play a monster card in defense mode," said Joe as he made his next move.  
  
"Your on the ropes, give up," gloated Darren, "I use Metal Morph on my Stone Ogre Grotto and created Gear Golem the Mover." His rock type glowed and reconfigured. It was a wonder of technology. Two large shields adorned its arms, which were made of golden spikes. Its faces was lined with spikes, as were its shields and torso. It had short legs and an attack of 800 and a defense of 2200. "I use Machine Conversion Factory on it as well and move it to defense mode. Then My Steel Ogre Grotto will destroy your defending card."  
  
"Red-Eyes Black Dragon," declared Joe in a proud voice as he played his next card. His new monster was a bony, pitch black dragon with thin, long wings and a serpentine neck common to dragons. Its attack was 2400. "Then I play two magic cards, one face down. The other is De-Spell, which I am using on your Steel Ogre. Red-Eyes attack!" The Steel Ogre was obliterated, bring Darren down to 300 life points.  
  
"Millennial Golem in attack mode, with Invigoration," declared Darren. His newest rock type was hardly distinguishable from the others, save an Eye of Horus in the middle of its face. Its raised stats were 2500 and 2700. "Destroy the dragon!"  
  
"Fake Trap!" yelled Joe as the golem froze on the field.  
  
"And now to end this," declared Joe, "I use Copycat."  
  
"What?" asked Darren.  
  
"I can copy any magic card you have thrown at me," smiled Joe, "And I chose the Metal Morph. I will use it on my Red-Eyes, creating the Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon!"  
  
"No!" cried Darren as Joe's monster was built up. Its attack was now 2800.  
  
"Red-Eyes attack his Millennial Golem!" ordered Joe. Darren was brought down to 0 life points. He sulked off of the field.  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Way to go, Joe!"  
  
"Awesome job!" His friends crowded around to congratulate him.  
  
"Attention duelists," said Croquet, stepping forward, "You can return to your rooms to prepare for your duel against Pegasus tomorrow." He and several other guards began to escort the group out.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Pegasus smiled as he clicked off the screen in his private dining room.  
  
"Tomorrow, the real fun begins," he smiled to himself, his Millennial Eye flashing. 


	19. A Brief Intermission

You Know You Are Watching Too Much Yu-Gi-Oh! When.....  
By: Gema J Gall  
  
AN/ This was inspired by Lady Akhana. This is a brief break from my  
fan fiction, to try to make you laugh. So enjoy this short  
intermission.  
  
) You really on the "Heart of the Cards" to win poker games.  
  
) You wonder if sticking a fork into an electric outlet will give  
you hair as cool as Yami's.  
  
) You can shuffle with your feet.  
  
) You dress up as the Dark Magician for Halloween.  
  
) You spontaneously grow 6" when provoked.  
  
) You know all of the Egyptian gods.  
  
) You think all dragons have blue eyes.  
  
) All your friends have alter-egos.  
  
) You carry a picture of you sibling around your neck.  
  
) Your health insurance covers "soul loss."  
  
) You see a hair ball and yell "Kuriboh!"  
  
) You have frequent flyer miles to the Shadow Realm.  
  
) You wear your dueling glove to school.  
  
) You have gotten a detention for bringing your cards to school.  
  
) You beg your grandpa to buy a card shop.  
  
) You want to visit Egypt to find the Millennial Items.  
  
) Famous people randomly show-up, demanding for duels.  
  
) You think the word "monster" is a compliment.  
  
) You are schizophrenic.  
  
) You have an eye for large, golden jewelry.  
  
) Your friends have said, "This is the third time this week that me  
soul has been stolen!"  
  
) You wake up at night and find yourself drawing cards.  
  
) Magic is second nature to you.  
  
) You carry your deck everywhere, even in the bathroom.  
  
) You have a picture of Maximilian Pegasus on your dart board.  
  
) Your main source if income is from dueling.  
  
) You double check every step you take, looking for trap cards.  
  
) You think someone is calling you when you hear the word  
"pharaoh."  
  
) You search the globe for an island called the "duelist kingdom."  
  
) You have a nervous breakdown when someone suggests that you "lay  
of the cartoons."  
  
) You bookmark every Yu-Gi-Oh! web site you come to.  
  
) You send "get well soon" cards to Serenity.  
  
) You play solitaire with your cards in attack mode.  
  
) You automatically distrust anyone with hair over their left eye.  
  
) You ask the Mystical Elf to your prom. (Or in the case of girls,  
Celtic Guardian.)  
  
) You ask your biology teacher for the odds of someone being born  
with violet eyes.  
  
) You can speak ancient Egyptian fluently.  
  
) You draw the Eye of Horus on your forehead during art class.  
  
) A classmate has designed a billion dollar holographic system.  
  
) You thought you saw Harpy Lady through a window, once.  
  
) You believe two beings can merge to become more powerful.  
) You use star chips as hair decorations. (If you are a guy , I  
really worry about this one.)  
  
) You believe trench coats are "in."  
  
) You try to trace your family tree to Cairo.  
  
) You wallpaper your room, locker, and computer with Yu-Gi-Oh!  
paraphernalia.  
  
) You have never played a game of cards for yourself.  
  
) You own every Yu-Gi-Oh! game ever made, and buy them the first  
day they come out.  
  
) You have made replicas of all the Millennial Items.  
  
) You plan to major in Egyptian mythology.  
  
) You think that "pegasus" is synonymous with "evil."  
  
) You have a list title "101 ways in which Pegasus dies slowly,  
horribly, and/or  
painfully.  
  
) You think "slim shady" has the Millennial Key.  
  
) You wonder how many defense points your house cat has.  
  
) Future names for your kids include; Joe, Tristan, Tea, and Ryou.  
  
) The names that you would never give your kids; Weevil, Rex,  
Maximilian, or Keith.  
  
) You hate Seto Kaiba in one episode and love him the next.  
  
) You have your hair highlighted pink, blonde, and black.  
  
) "Duel" is the word you use the most in any given day.  
  
) You have the dialogue of every episode memorized.  
  
) Friends accuse of you of rigging your deck.  
  
) You go from losing to winning in one turn.  
  
) You change your name based on your deck type.  
  
) You are writing a Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic.  
  
) You are reading a Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic.  
  
) You ask for Yu-Gi-Oh! copyrights for your birthday/Christmas.  
  
) You send hate mail to Pegasus.  
  
) You have a crush on Joe or Tea.  
  
) You went to Japan to visit Domino City.  
  
) You don't know if you posses a Millennial Item or it possesses  
you.  
  
) You call 4-1-1 to get Yu-Gi's phone number.  
  
) You call 9-1-1 because your brother's soul got stolen, again.  
  
) You invest you life savings in stock in Kaiba Corp. because you  
believe that it  
will do better than Microsoft.  
  
) You think tarot cards mock the heart of the cards.  
  
) Your arc-enemy has a dungeon in his basement.  
  
) Split personalities are the norm.  
  
) You keep a framed picture of the cast on your bedside table.  
  
) When Yu-Gi-Oh! starts everything else stops.  
  
78) You are reading this.  
  
Any suggestions are welcome, and good ones will be put of with proper recognition of the author who comes up with them.  
  
Here are some additions made curtsey of Lady Akhana.  
  
79) You are adding to this list.  
  
80) Your room has become a Yu-Gi-Oh! shrine.  
  
81) You try to find Yu-Gi-Oh! music CDs.  
  
82) Enemies are afraid you'll sick your Flame Swordsman on them.  
  
) You have never missed an episode, even the reruns.  
  
These are made curtsey of the Pharaohs Light and Dark....  
  
84) You try to convince your band teacher to let you perform the Yu-Gi-  
Oh!  
theme song. You sew buckles on everything you own.  
  
85) You change your entire wardrobe to suit a certain character.  
  
86)You get sent to the principle for attempting to Mind Crush someone.  
  
87)You start recognizing people from crowd scenes; example: "Hey,  
aren't you that guy from row 24 about 16 from the right?  
  
88) You have a shrine for each character.  
  
89) You attempt to summon Exodia when your annoying little sibling  
makes you miss Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
90)You get your soul sealed in the Shadow Realm and like it.  
  
This was made curtsey of Angel Reaper...  
  
91)You paint your finger nails with the Millennial Puzzle, Scale, Ring  
(Etc.) (She is actually doing this.)  
  
These were made curtsey of E-100 Alpha....  
  
92)You were red or blue contacts and roar loudly, trying to breathe  
fire.  
  
93) You were blue contacts and try to sprout extra heads.  
  
94) You succeed in sprouting extra heads.  
  
95) You try to seal your younger sibling in five different parts. 


	20. Girl Talk, Guy Talk

**************************************************************************  
  
"We have to talk," whispered Tristan in a hushed voice to his friends.  
  
"What is it?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"I have Mokuba," he answered.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Yu-Gi. This caused Croquet's head to turn.  
  
"Not so loud," urged Bakura.  
  
"Tea, Bakura, and I found him while you were dueling," explained Tristan. "He is in my room now."  
  
"What are they whispering about?" Mai asked Tempest. She was just out of ear-shot of the conversation.  
  
"Tristan found Mokuba," Tempest answered. Her ears were able to pick up the low voices.  
  
"Oh....." Mai trailed off, glancing at the guard who was leading them.  
  
"I am so sorry I couldn't stop my dad," Drake said to Lara, bashfully.  
  
"It wasn't your fault," Lara reassured.  
  
"I missed you so much," he looked into her eyes.  
  
"You've said that about a hundred times already," she snickered as she moved herself close enough to hold his hand.  
  
"But it is true," Drake said.  
  
The group stopped as Kemo approached Croquet. They had a brief discussion.  
  
"The ladies will follow Croquet to their wing," gestured Kemo, "I will take the guys."  
  
"See you later," said Joe as he waved good-bye to Tea.  
  
"Don't let the fleas bite," teased Mai.  
  
"See you in the morning," added Yu-Gi.  
  
"Drake," muttered Lara as she anticipated their separation.  
  
"You don't have a room, do you?" asked Tempest.  
  
"No," admitted Lara.  
  
"You can stay with us," said Mai. "Hey! Let's have a girls' night in my room!"  
  
"Sounds like a great idea!" chimed Tea.  
  
"Uh, whatever," said Tempest, nervously. The boys walked away, with Martin and Drake trailing.  
  
"Come on!" exclaimed Tea as she began to gently pull Tempest towards Mai's room. Mai was also pushing Lara.  
  
They made it there and unloaded. Mai collapsed onto her bed. Tea sat at the edge and looked around. Lara remained standing. Tempest, using her fingers to guide her, found a chair.  
  
"Lucky these rooms have the same lay-out," she thought with a sigh.  
  
"So, Lara, what brings you here?" asked Mai, "You aren't a duelist."  
  
"Yes I am," Lara replied, "I am just not in this competition."  
  
"How long have you and Drake been an item?" asked Tea.  
  
"You guys don't waste time," replied Lara, "What is this Truth or Dare?"  
  
"I love that game!" exclaimed Tea.  
  
"Sounds like a great idea. Let's play!" added Mai. Lara and Tempest swallowed hard.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
In the other wing.....  
  
Kemo had just left and all of the doors were closed. But as soon as his footsteps faded, one door opened. That person slipped out and went into another room. A minute later, two other figures emerged at the same time. They looked at each other and without a word, entered the door one figure had already entered. It was quiet for a while, then another person emerged and went into the first room. The only door that hadn't moved was Martin's.  
  
"Everyone is here?" asked Tristan as he saw Yu-Gi, Bakura, and Joe.  
  
"Yeah," said Joe, he looked at Mokuba, who was laying on the bed. He could have been asleep, save the opened-eyed stare. Then the door opened as the last figure entered.  
  
"Drake!" exclaimed Yu-Gi.  
  
"What brings you here?" asked Bakura as Joe and Tristan tried to make a human barricade around Mokuba.  
  
"I heard you talking," explained Drake, "I already know he is here. You can relax. I am not your enemy."  
  
"Then what are you doing here?" asked Tristan.  
  
"I came to help. You have no idea what you are getting into," he replied.  
  
"Why should you help us?" asked Joe, suspiciously.  
  
"Let him explain himself," suggested Yu-Gi.  
  
"I want to see Pegasus fall as much as you do," Drake replied.  
  
"Why?" asked Bakura.  
  
"He took Lara from me," Drake replied.  
  
"So, how can you help us?" asked Joe.  
  
"I know what Pegasus will do," said Drake.  
  
"Why should we believe you? You are an eliminator," Tristan pointed-out.  
  
"Do you think I wanted to be one?!" yelled Drake. "I had little choice in competing, just like you, Yu-Gi."  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
In Pegasus' office the eliminators who had lost their duel were getting yelled at.  
  
"The best in the world!" yelled Pegasus, sarcastically, "The cream of the crop, and you lose to a bunch of teenagers!"  
  
"It proves," said Para.  
  
"Nothing," finished Dox.  
  
"Silence, you two," demanded Pegasus, "And according to your contract, you don't get paid."  
  
"Not fair!" protested Darren, "We beat countless others and had them deported."  
  
"Not my concern," said Pegasus, composing himself, "You are all fired, get out."  
  
"But!" they al protested. A second later Pegasus' private guards were all over them, ushering them off of the island.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Come on," said Tea, "Don't be such a stick in the mud." She was getting annoyed over Tempest's and Lara's stubbornness.  
  
"It isn't hard," said Mai, "Watch. Tea, truth or dare?"  
  
"Truth," Tea replied.  
  
"Who do you think is cuter; Bakura, Joe, Tristan, or Yu-Gi?" Mai asked.  
  
"No fair! They're my friends," protested Tea.  
  
"But it is an easy question," replied Mai.  
  
"Fine....um........Yu-Gi," she answered after some thought.  
  
"OK, Tempest, truth or dare?" asked Tea.  
  
"What?" asked Tempest, trying to stall for time.  
  
"Truth or dare?" repeated Tea.  
  
"Um, truth," said Tempest.  
  
"OK, Do you have a boyfriend?" asked Tea.  
  
"Lara was right, you guys don't waste time," Tempest muttered.  
  
"What is the answer?" asked Mai.  
  
"Yes......No, I mean no," she stammered.  
  
"What is with the double answer?" asked Lara.  
  
"I had one, until recently," the blind girl replied.  
  
"Now you ask Lara," said Mai.  
  
"OK," said Tempest, metaphorically rolling her eyes, "Truth or dare?"  
  
"I'll go with truth," said Lara.  
  
"How did you get in without ten star chips?" asked Tempest.  
  
"I knocked out the guard," said Lara.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Tea.  
  
"It's the truth! And remember the first rule of this game, nothing said or done leaves these four walls," said Lara. "Truth or dare, Mai?"  
  
"Dare," she smiled.  
  
"Fine," Lara grinned evilly. "I dare you to act like Harpy Lady for five minutes.  
  
"I think I got off easy," Mai muttered as she stood on the bed with her "wings" extended.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"How did you know that?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"I know a lot of things about Pegasus," replied Drake, "How he stole your grandpa's soul, and both of the Kaibas', and even Bandit Keith's"  
  
"Woah! What?" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Bandit Keith, after his duel, went to find Pegasus," explained Drake, "He tried to duel him, but got his soul swiped instead."  
  
"For some reason, I feel no pity," muttered Joe.  
  
"Oh, my gosh!" exclaimed Yu-Gi.  
  
"How did you know about this?" asked Bakura.  
  
"He bragged about the entire next day," answered Drake.  
  
"How are you going to help us?" asked Tristan.  
  
"First, Pegasus will come back for Mokuba tomorrow, so you need to hide him," said Drake. "Second, He is willing to go all out for the duel against you, Yu-Gi. He doesn't care about the others. You are the one he is after."  
  
"Why not the others?" asked Bakura, looking at Mokuba, to make sure he was still OK.  
  
"Because of the Millennial Puzzle," responded Drake.  
  
"You know about the Millennial Items?!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Truth or dare?" Mai asked Lara.  
  
"I don't trust you with a dare, so I am saying truth," said Lara.  
  
"Truth, hmmm. How long have you dated Drake?" asked Mai.  
  
"We've been friends forever. I can't really remember when our relationship got more serious," answered Lara. "Truth or dare, Tempest."  
  
"Dare," she replied.  
  
"Let me see your deck, and modify it," dared Lara.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Mai and Tea.  
  
"You can't do that, not with the final round tomorrow," protested Mai.  
  
"I don't mind," said Tempest as she dug out her cards, "Only there is one condition, you have to use my cards to modify."  
  
"Fair," agreed Lara. She was thinking, "I know Pegasus' tricks. I can help Tempest prepare for her duel tomorrow."  
  
"Little do they know," thought Tempest, "That I am going to drop out tomorrow. I can change my deck back on the way home."  
  
Lara began to sort through Tempest's cards. She kept the monster combination mostly the same, but she changed several magic and trap cards.  
  
"Truth or dare?" Tempest asked Tea.  
  
"Dare," said Tea, getting brave.  
  
"I hear you wanted to get into dance school," smirked Tempest, "Show us a few of your moves.  
  
"Dance school?" asked Mai.  
  
"Don't laugh!" yelled Tea.  
  
"I'm not. You are one of the better cheerleaders our school has, I think you should try for it," Mai responded.  
  
"Um, thanks," said Tea.  
  
"Well, let's see you dance," said Lara. Tea sighed, got on her ties, and began to pirouette around the room.  
  
"Your turn," said Tea when she had finished. Lara was quietly applauding. "Truth or dare, Mai?"  
  
"Truth," said Mai.  
  
"What is your family like? You never mention them to anyone," asked Tea.  
  
"Uh," stuttered Mai, caught off guard by the question. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."  
  
"You suggested it, you answer," Tempest pointed-out.  
  
"OK, my parents are divorced and work constantly," admitted Mai, "They are both independently wealth, but are incredibly busy. They work so much that I as often alone. So they didn't have to deal with custody and all of that, they bought me my own apartment."  
  
"Wow!" exclaimed Lara.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"My....... Pegasus is obsessed with the Millennial Items. That is all I have head about for weeks," explained Drake. "Those items are the reason he hosted this tournament."  
  
"How long have you been here?" asked Tristan.  
  
"A while now," Drake said with a chuckle. "You have to be careful, Yu-Gi. He is willing to go to any lengths to win, even a place he calls the Shadow Realm."  
  
"The Shadow Realm?!" gaped Yu-Gi and Bakura.  
  
"You know of that place?" asked Drake. They nodded in response.  
  
"How did you figure this out?" asked Tristan, still a little nervous of the newcomer.  
  
"Pegasus brags a lot," replied Drake. "All I had to do was listen."  
  
"And why are you telling us so much?" asked Joe.  
  
"I already answered that question. He took Lara from me," he answered.  
  
"How did he do that?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"He was in a rotten mood," Drake sighed, remembering. "Lara and I had set off his temper. He put her on a boat and shipped her off of the island. The boat crashed. I thought I lost her."  
  
"Oh, Woah," muttered Joe, blown away.  
  
"What were you and Lara do here, then?" asked Bakura.  
  
"And how do you happen to always be around when Pegasus is bragging?" asked Tristan. Drake looked down and didn't say anything.  
  
"What are you hiding?" asked Joe.  
  
"Lay off," said Yu-Gi, "He has helped us."  
  
"No, its OK," said Drake, "You deserve to know. Pegasus is my father."  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Truth or dare, Tempest?" Mai asked.  
  
"Truth," said Tempest, warming up to the game, a little.  
  
"What was the happiest moment of your life, so far?" asked Mai.  
  
"Finding Jesus," Tempest answered, immediately.  
  
"You're a Jesus Freak?" asked Mai, surprised.  
  
"Yes, and proud of it," said Tempest with a smile.  
  
"It doesn't make sense to me," muttered Mai.  
  
"I can explain, if you want me to," said Tempest.  
  
"Later," replied Mai, "Ask Lara, Tea."  
  
"OK, Lara, truth or dare?" asked Tea.  
  
"Truth," said Lara.  
  
"Where did you get that necklace from?" asked Tea, admiring it.  
  
"Drake gave it to me," smiled Lara. "I think it was his mother's or something. Anyways, his dad got so mad that he kicked me off of the island. I've spent a lot of time trying to get back."  
  
"Wait a minute. This island?" asked Tea.  
  
"How was Drake's dad able to do that?" asked Mai.  
  
"Drake's dad is Pegasus," answered Lara.  
  
"WHAT!?" exclaimed Mai and Tea.  
  
"What do your parents think of this?" asked Tea.  
  
"I am an orphan, I have no parents," admitted Lara.  
  
"So am I," said Tempest, surprised. "I think we could start a support group. Truth or dare, Mai?"  
  
"Dare," said Mai.  
  
"OK," Tempest smiled, "I dare you to let me do your hair."  
  
"But you can't see!" protested Mai.  
  
"Exactly," smiled Tempest, "Can you hand me the styling gel, Tea?" Tempest made her way to the bed where Mai was.  
  
"While you do that, Tea, truth or dare?" asked Lara.  
  
"Dare," said Tea.  
  
"I dare you to stick out your tongue and 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat,'" dared Lara. Tea stuck her tongue out at the girl and began.  
  
"Olw, Olw, Owl, ur oat entlie ouwn le streeem. Aeirily, Aeirily, Aeirily, ife is uop a eam," Tea slurred, causing everyone to giggle.  
  
"Fini!" exclaimed Tempest as she finished with Mai's hair. This brought more giggles.  
  
"How bad is it?" Mai asked. Lara and Tea continued to chortle, but Tea pulled out a mirror and handed it to her.  
  
"EEK!" screamed Mai. She now had a mohawk.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Your father!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"I feel sorry for you," muttered Tristan.  
  
"You probably hate me, now," Drake said, sadly.  
  
"No, we don't," said Yu-Gi. "What your father does has nothing to do with what you do."  
  
"And we have appreciated the help, and support," added Joe.  
  
"You need everything you can get," said Drake, "Tomorrow is going to be like nothing you have dueled before."  
  
"While you are still, here," said Tristan, "What should we do with Mokuba?"  
  
"The guards will be searching everywhere," Drake said. "You'll have to keep him close."  
  
"And that won't be obvious?" asked Joe.  
  
"Maybe we can get the girls to help," suggested Bakura.  
  
"I have an idea, but you are going to have to trust me to take care of Mokuba until the first duel begins," said Drake.  
  
"What idea is that?" asked Tristan.  
  
"I can't tell you now," admitted Drake.  
  
"Then why should we trust you?" asked Joe.  
  
"I trust him," said Yu-Gi, "Its not like we have a better idea."  
  
"If you want, I'll come back in the morning," added Drake.  
  
"It is fine be me," said Bakura. They all looked at each other, then slowly nodded.  
  
"Thank you," said Drake, "You'd better rest now. Tomorrow shall decided it all."  
  
************************************************************************** 


	21. YuGi vs Pegasus

The girls woke that morning to a guard tapping on the door, announcing breakfast. They had all fallen asleep in Mai's room. Tea and Mai were passed out on the bed, Tea with Mai's feet in her face. Lara had slept on the floor. Tempest dozed off in the chair, but eventually moved to the floor as well.  
  
"Huh? What?" yawned Tea.  
  
"Morning," answered Mai as she stretched.  
  
"Oh, ouch. Boy an I stiff," complained Tempest as she stood up.  
  
"It isn't that bad," said Lara.  
  
"We'd better get ready, before Joe and Tristan eat everything," joked Tea. They all nodded and began their various morning rituals. Tempest sat back down and began to rummage through her backpack. Mai grabbed her make-up case and raced into the bathroom, one step ahead of Tea. Lara pulled a brush out of her pocket and began to work the knots out of her violet hair.  
  
"EEEEEEEKK!" came a loud scream from the bathroom.  
  
"What is it?" asked Lara. Tea opened the bathroom door. Mai was standing, facing the mirror, with a complete shocked expression.  
  
"What is it?" Tea asked.  
  
"M-Mmmy hair," she whined. She had fallen asleep with all of the styling gel that Tempest had put in the night before. She looked like the bride of Frankenstien. To make matters worse, Tempest started to chortle.  
  
"IT ISN'T FUNNY! This is a major crisis!" yelled Mai. Now Lara was laughing as well. Tea was hiding a large smile behind her hand. Mai's face turned bright red. She slammed the bathroom door. A few seconds later the girls could hear the shower starting.  
  
The others continued their preparations.  
  
"Lara, are going to wear that?" asked Tea, looking at Lara's beat up clothing.  
  
"It is all I have," she answered as she finished with her hair.  
  
"You can borrow some of my stuff," volunteered Tempest. Tea nodded in agreement.  
  
"I don't think I am your sizes," said Lara.  
  
"We'll find something," said Tea as she began to go through their assorted clothing. She opened the closet and pulled out a stylish pair of Mai's jeans. "This might fit."  
  
"Hey, Mai!" yelled Tea, tapping on the door. "Can Lara borrow a pair of your pants?"  
  
"Sure, whatever," Mai's muffled reply came.  
  
"Here, try these on," said Tea, handing the clothing to Lara. "Now for a shirt."  
  
"No way, this one is my favorite," protested Lara.  
  
"I maybe able to clean it up," said Tempest, "Hand it here." Lara handed the blind girl her shirt.  
  
"Mai," said Tempest, knocking on the door, "I hope you don't mind, but I need to use the sink." She opened the door and walked in, letting a few puffs of steam escape. The door closed behind her.  
  
Almost an hour later everyone was ready. Mai's hair was hanging around her neck in wet strings because there hadn't been time to blow dry it. Lara looked great in Mai's high priced jeans. They all walked together to breakfast. The guys were already there, Joe and Tristan were inhaling food.  
  
"Good morning, Drake," said Lara to her boyfriend. Drake took one look at her and began to turn red.  
  
"Hi Tea," greeted Yu-Gi. He motioned for her to sit down. They all did. Lara sat across from Drake, who was sitting next to Yu-Gi. Tristan was next to Yu-Gi, then Martin. Tempest sat across from her friend. Mai took the only free seat, next to Joe who was next to Bakura. They all helped themselves and soon a friendly conversation was started.  
  
"Are you nervous?" asked Tristan.  
  
"A little," admitted Yu-Gi, "I mean so much is riding on this next duel."  
  
"Only a little?" asked Mai, "I'm practically shaking."  
  
"I feel the same way," agreed Joe.  
  
"What about you Tempest?" asked Tea.  
  
"Nope," she answered.  
  
"You aren't nervous?" asked Bakura.  
  
"Nope," she repeated. She was thinking, "They don't know I am going to drop-out."  
  
"Attention duelists," said Croquet as the meal ended. "It is time for the final round. This way." Everyone rose and began to walk out.  
  
"This is my cue to leave," muttered Drake.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Lara.  
  
"I have to protect Mokuba from my dad while everyone duels," he answered.  
  
"I want to help," Lara said.  
  
"I have to do this alone," said Drake.  
  
"Then, good luck," encouraged Lara. She gave him a light peck on the cheek, which caused Drake to turn red.  
  
Everyone filed out. Drake hung to the back of the group, then slipped back to Tristan's room when the guards weren't looking. The door had been left unlocked. Drake entered, making sure he had locked the door behind him, and picked up the unconscious boy, who was laying unconscious on the bed.  
  
Then he heard the door knob rattling.  
  
"It's locked," said Kemo's voice.  
  
"Then use the master key," said another guard, impatiently.  
  
Drake gasped and tightened his grip on Mokuba. His golden gauntlet began to pulse slightly.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
(AN/ Special thanks to the two of you who gave me the play-by-play for this chapter. I won't be following it exactly, you'll see why in the next chapter.)  
  
The group entered the arena again. Pegasus was there to greet them.  
  
"Welcome duelists," said Pegasus, pseudo-warmly. "I am glad that you have made it so far. As promised, you will have the chance to duel me for the prize money and the much coveted title of "King of Games." Or maybe, we'll have a "Queen of Games?"  
  
"What a creep," muttered Tristan as they passed.  
  
"I agree," said Joe.  
  
"But I must say," continued Pegasus, "I never imagined there would be so many capable finalists. I have no idea who I should challenged first."  
  
"You'll challenge me," said Yu-Gi. Tempest lifted her head. His voice had changed again and she had felt a strange stirring of powers.  
  
"Have it your way, Yu-Gi," smiled Pegasus. "The holo-field is ready. Let's begin."  
  
"Good luck, Yu-Gi."  
  
"You can do this."  
  
"You can beat him, don't forget what gramps has taught you."  
  
"Don't let that creep psyche you out. He is as bogus as a three dollar bill." His friends continued to encourage him as he took his place on the field. Then Tristan, Tea, Bakura, Martin, Tempest, Joe, Mai, and Lara took their places on the overhang to watch the duel.  
  
"For my first move," declared Pegasus, "I play Toon Alligator in defense mode." His first monster appeared on the field. It was about two and a half feet tall and stood upright. It held and ax and looked exactly like its name implies that is does. Its attack was only 800, but it had a defense of 1600. "I also play a magic card."  
  
"Then I play Beaver Warrior in attack mode and power it up with the Horn of the Unicorn," declared Yu-Gi. His monster's stats were now 1700 and 2000. "Attack the Toon Alligator with your lightning attack."  
  
"Walking into traps already?" gloated Pegasus, "Tears of the Mermaid activate. It nullifies your thunder attack and eliminates your unicorn's horn, reducing the Beaver Warrior's stats to their original numbers."  
  
"No!" gasped Yu-Gi.  
  
"That isn't all. The Tears of the Mermaid raises Toon Alligator's attack by 1000," bragged Pegasus. "Toon Alligator attack the Beaver Warrior!" The Toon Alligator walked up and in a series of swings chopped up the Beaver Warrior. Yu-Gi was already down to 1600 life points.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
The door swung open into Tristan's room. Two guards entered and began to look around.  
  
"Where is the kid?" asked one.  
  
"He has to be around her somewhere. That is what Mr. Pegasus said," answered the other. They began to poke into the closets and restroom.  
  
"He isn't here," one finally announced.  
  
Outside and around the corner, Drake listened as the guards searched Tristan's room. He was still holding Mokuba.  
  
"Step one is OK, I hope my luck continues," he muttered. His gauntlet was still pulsing slightly.  
  
"I thought I heard something," said one of the guards as he left the room.  
  
"From where?" asked the other.  
  
"Over there," the first replied. They began to head right to where Drake was hiding. Drake gulped and ducked backward.  
  
"You must be hearing things," said the second as he looked around the corner and saw nothing. The other guard just glared.  
  
On the terrace where Yu-Gi had dueled Seto, Drake was standing.  
  
"That was too close," he said to himself, "They'll be combing the castle in no time. I need to find a safe place." He thought for a moment and came up with an idea. A second later he had vanished.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"I play the Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode," declared Yu-Gi as he laid his next card down. His monster could defend against the super- powered Toon Alligator with its high defense of 2000.  
  
"Ryu-Ran in defense mode, and I also move my Toon Alligator to defense mode," declared Pegasus.  
  
"Now I see where Drake gets his moves from," commented Joe.  
  
/What is he up to?/ wondered Yu-Gi.  
  
/This can't be good,/ agreed the spirit of the puzzle, /We need to be cautious./  
  
"I play the Summoned Skull in defense mode," said Yu-Gi. "I also play a magic card face down to end my turn."  
  
"What can he be doing?" wondered Pegasus, "Why don't I just read his mind to find out?" His Millennial Eye began to glow beneath his hair. "Spell- Binding Circle? I can take care of that easily."  
  
"I attack with Ryu-Ran," said Pegasus. With his monster's attack of 2200, the Giant Soldier of Stone shouldn't have stood a chance.  
  
"You walked right into our trap," said Yu-Gi, "Spell-Binding Circle. Your monster has lost 500 attack points."  
  
"Oh, no whatever am I going to do?" said Pegasus, sarcastically. "All that is left is for me to play this magic card."  
  
"Summoned Skull attack!" ordered Yu-Gi.  
  
"Did you already forget about my trap card, for that is what it is," mocked Pegasus. "Trap Displacement moves your Spell-Binding Circle back to your own monster."  
  
"No, my Summoned Skull!" cried Yu-Gi as his monster was weakened. Worse, Pegasus' monster returned to its original stats.  
  
"Now Ryu-Ran, destroy the Summoned Skull!" ordered Pegasus. His egg-like dragon obliterated the weakened Summoned Skull. Yu-Gi was down to 1400 life points.  
  
"Come now, Yu-Gi. You don't stand a chance against my Millennial Eye. I can see every card you have before you play it. You might as well give up," boasted Pegasus.  
  
"What does he mean by seeing every card before it is played?" asked Tempest.  
  
"I don't like this part," muttered Lara.  
  
"This is the same stunt Pegasus pulled when he dueled Kaiba and Yu-Gi before," said Joe with a clenched fist.  
  
"What do you mean by Yu-Gi dueling Pegasus before?" asked Tempest  
  
"Yu-Gi dueled Pegasus before, and lost," explained Tea. "That is why Pegasus stole his grandpa's soul."  
  
"What do you mean by stole his soul?" asked Tempest, who was now very nervous.  
  
"He took gramp's soul. He is like a vegetable in the hospital right now," explained Tristan. "That is the same way Mokuba is."  
  
"I hope Drake is keeping him safe," muttered Bakura.  
  
"I know Drake will come through," said Lara. Martin looked at them all, his mouth hung open. Tempest's knuckles were turning white as she gripped the rail.  
  
"And now to seal your fate! I play Toon World," smiled Pegasus as he laid down his ultra-rare magic card. "Are you ready? I will have my two monsters enter Toon World, making them virtually invincible."  
  
"Nothing is invincible," countered Yu-Gi.  
  
"Do you think you can beat them? Just try. I want you to be fighting your hardest when I take you down," gloated Pegasus. A giant pop-up story book had appeared on the field. In sucked the Toon Alligator and Ryu-Ran into it. The Toon Alligator remained unaltered, but the Ryu-Ran became the Manga Ryu-Ran. It had an orange dragon head with stubby limbs and undersized wings. It was still encased in a blue and violet eggshell. Its stats were the same at 2200 and 2600.  
  
"Manga Ryu-Ran destroy the stone soldier!" ordered Pegasus. The book opened and the toon dragon popped out, decimated the monster, and hid again.  
  
"Celtic Guardian in attack mode," declared Yu-Gi. His next monster was a green elfin warrior with ancient armor and an impressive sword. Its attack was 1400. "I also play Legendary Sword to raise its stats."  
  
"For all the good that that does you," smirked Pegasus.  
  
"We will see. Attack Celtic Guardian!" ordered Yu-Gi.  
  
"Toon Alligator appear and defend your home!" countered Pegasus. The story book opened and the fake town was clearly visible. The Toon Alligator clashed with the Celtic Guardian. Their weapons met and there was a bright flash of light. Everyone was forced to shield their eyes from the light.  
  
"What happened?" asked Bakura as the light faded.  
  
"I think...." muttered Joe.  
  
"What the heck happened?!" exclaimed Tristan. The Toon Alligator was standing. The Celtic Guardian was gone.  
  
"Impossible!" protested Tea, "Yu-Gi's monster was stronger."  
  
"Now do you see why I prefer dueling on a table top?" muttered Tempest.  
  
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi in disbelief.  
  
"You underestimated the power of my toons," said Pegasus arrogantly. "You only now seem to be realizing that you don't stand a chance."  
  
"You are wrong," snapped Yu-Gi.  
  
"Really?" taunted Pegasus, "Did you see this coming. I use Doppleganger to copy your destroyed Summoned Skull. Only now, it is under my control." The massive skeleton demon appeared on Pegasus's end of the field.  
  
"Grrr," Yu-Gi growled.  
  
/We need to turn this around,/ said Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
/I know, but how? Pegasus can see any card we play!/ exclaimed Yu-Gi.  
  
"But that isn't all," Pegasus's smile continued to grow. "It will enter Toon World and create the Toon Summoned Skull!" The fiend disappeared into the book. A second late the book opened up, revealing the mutated monster. It was about a fourth of its original size and aqua blue. Its head was about a third of its total height. Its stats remained the same, though.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Drake looked around the corner of the hall, looking for danger. Mokuba was still safe in his arms. Drake's home had become a dangerous place with guards around every corner.  
  
"Don't worry," he muttered to the unconscious boy. "Yu-Gi will win soon and you will be free." He glanced around nervously one last time, then raced to another doorway.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"I play a monster in defense mode," declared Yu-Gi.  
  
"Are you that afraid of me?" asked Pegasus. "But your Horned Imp is not going to help you any." Yu-Gi gasped at Pegasus's correct prediction of his face down card.  
  
"Why do you seem so surprised? I can read your mind. I know what you are going to play before you do!" smiled Pegasus.  
  
"How did he know that?" asked Martin. He was so surprised that he had actually found his voice.  
  
"I don't like this, not at all," muttered Tempest. She was ready to turn and leave the island. "Something doesn't feel right about this. It is making my stomach hurt."  
  
"I play Gorgon's Eye," said Pegasus.  
  
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi. He looked as the holo-field revealed his monster. The Horned Imp was then turned to stone.  
  
"The Gorgon's Eye turns any defending monster to stone," gloated Pegasus. "Unless you want to see all of your monsters petrified, you'd better play them all in attack mode."  
  
"Only to see them wiped out by Toon World," complained Joe.  
  
"And there's more," said Pegasus, "Toon Summoned Skull, destroy the imp!" The petrified monster was sent to the graveyard.  
  
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi as he began to lose life points.  
  
"Once a petrified monster is destroyed in defense mode, half of its defense points are taken from your life points," gloated Pegasus, "There isn't a thing you can do about it because Gorgon's Eye is a permanent trap." His eye surrounded by snakes blinked in agreement. Yu-Gi was down to 900 life points and Pegasus hadn't lost any.  
  
/We are in trouble,/ said Yu-Gi.  
  
/We have to have faith in the heart of the cards,/ said Yami Yu-Gi. He drew his next card and smiled.  
  
"I see you have drawn your favorite, the Dark Magician," said Pegasus. "Too bad you haven't learned to master your Millennial Puzzle like I have mastered my Millennial Eye."  
  
"Cheating will get you no where," said Yu-Gi, "I play the Dark Magician in attack mode."  
  
"Why do you do that, only to see him destroyed?" mocked Pegasus, "Is it because you have no other move?"  
  
"I have plenty of moves left," snapped Yu-Gi, "Now I play the Magical Hats and conceal my Dark Magician." Four hats appeared on the field. The Dark Magician was in one, but only Yu-Gi knew which one that was.  
  
"Why do you bother?" asked Pegasus, "I can read you mind with my Millennial Eye. I can easily find out where he is hiding and then it is all over." Behind Pegasus, Croquet and Kemo nodded to something over their headsets and walked out.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Drake raced around a corner, desperately trying to stay hidden from the guards. They seemed to be closing in on him and he had no idea how.  
  
"It has to be around here somewhere," said one of the guards.  
  
"It sounds like nonsense to me," said another. Drake ducked behind a potted plant and held his breath.  
  
"Did you find it?" a new guard asked. Drake recognized the voice as Croquet's.  
  
"Not yet," said the first.  
  
"You'd better correct that mistake," said Kemo, who had appeared with Croquet.  
  
"If both Kemo and Croquet are here, there must be no one left with my dad," thought Drake, getting and idea.  
  
"AAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" another voice was screaming and running towards to group of guards. The figured collided with one and they both hit the ground. The newcomer was another guard.  
  
"What is it?!" demanded Kemo.  
  
"It was right behind me! It is going to kill us all!" screamed the new guard, trying to get away.  
  
"What was right behind you?" asked Croquet.  
  
"EEEAAARRRR!" something bellowed. The group turned around and saw the Man- Eater Bug that Bakura had summoned earlier.  
  
"What is that?!" thought Drake.  
  
"Come on, we are supposed to stop this," said Croquet. He stepped forward and looked back for his support. The others were desperately trying to scramble away. Croquet looked at the retreating figures and then at the Man-Eater Bug.  
  
"AAAGGGHHH!" he began to scream and hurry after the others. The Duel Monster gave pursuit. They all raced passed Drake, oblivious to him hiding.  
  
Drake stood up when the danger had passed.  
  
"That was too close," he muttered and disappeared again.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
/If he reads our minds and finds out where the Dark Magician it is all over!/ exclaimed Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
/I have an idea, it is a risk, but we have no other choice,/ commented Yu- Gi.  
  
/What is it?/ asked Yami.  
  
/Grandpa said the way to beat Pegasus was to use the Millennial Puzzle. I though he meant that we should fuse like always, but that isn't it,/ explained Yu-Gi.  
  
/So what is your idea?/ asked Yami.  
  
/What if we separate? I play a card and then you take over. Pegasus can try to read your mind, but since you don't know what card was played neither will he. Then we can switch back./  
  
/That is a very big risk./  
  
/It is the best idea we have./  
  
/Fine, let's see how this works out. But if we lose everyone does./  
  
"I know where your Dark Magician is hiding," gloated Pegasus, oblivious to the conversation between Yu-Gi and the spirit of his puzzle.  
  
"Do you?" asked Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
"Toon Summoned Skull show him what the face of victory looks like," ordered Pegasus. The monster popped out of the book and stuck out its tongue. "Attack the hat on the far left." The hat exploded from the attack.  
  
"What happened?! His life points weren't altered a bit?!" cried Pegasus in disbelief. "I read your mind! The Dark Magician was under that hat!"  
  
"You read my mind, but I don't know where the Dark Magician is," said Yami Yu-Gi, "Because I am not Yu-Gi. I am the spirit for his Millennial Puzzle."  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Pegasus.  
  
"You didn't know there was two of us. Now, using the power of the Millennial Puzzle, we will beat you," declared Yami.  
  
"Ha-Ha-Ha!" Pegasus started to laugh. Yami jerked back in surprise.  
  
"Well done Yu-Gi, or whoever you are. You have done exactly what I have wanted. You have made the magic of the Millennial Puzzle strong and that is exactly what I planned. You see, I am going to take your puzzle as soon as you lose this duel!" cried Pegasus.  
  
"What?! No?!" protested Tea and the other audience members.  
  
"I don't feel so good," muttered Tempest, clutching her stomach.  
  
"Don't worry, Yu-Gi will still win," said Tristan.  
  
"It isn't that, I really don't feel good," she said.  
  
"The bathroom is down that hallway, first door on the right," directed Lara. Tempest smiled briefly before racing out of the room.  
  
"Then I play a magic card face down and end my turn," declared Yami. Yu-Gi quickly took over before Pegasus could find out what the card was.  
  
"Fine, have it your way. Toon Summoned Skull attack the middle hat!" ordered Pegasus. The attack produced a nice explosion which covered the field.  
  
"I got him. Tell me I got him. I had to have gotten him. I got him right?" jabbered Pegasus. The field cleared to reveal that the hat was empty. "Dang it!"  
  
"For my move I play a magic card face down," said Yu-Gi. A second later Yami was in control.  
  
"Then I play Magic Void," proudly declared Pegasus.  
  
"What does it do?" asked Yami.  
  
"It eliminates all in play magic cards on my opponent's field," smirked Pegasus.  
  
"No! My Magical Hats, they are disappearing!" exclaimed Yami. His magician was revealed.  
  
"And now to end this. Toon Summoned Skull attack!" ordered Pegasus.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Tempest grabbed the sink in the bathroom to try to stop herself from shaking. This was getting to be too much for her. Magic, whatever they meant by that. Yu-Gi being possessed by a spirit, Pegasus kidnapping people and stealing souls, it was all too much.  
  
"That is it," she thought, "I am out of here! I am finding Martin and we are taking the first boat off of this rock!" She grabbed her walking stick and left the bathroom.  
  
"I can't believe Mr. Pegasus is keeping that kid around," she heard Kemo's voice say.  
  
"It isn't our place to question Mr. Pegasus," replied Croquet. Tempest stopped walking and bent over a drinking fountain to eavesdrop.  
  
"We should have killed Seto Kaiba in the first place," continued Kemo, "That way their is no danger of him coming back.  
  
Tempest gasped and started sputtering. They were plotting murder!  
  
"That was the original plan, but remember, you let Kaiba escape," accused Croquet.  
  
"Don't blame me, you were there too," shot Kemo.  
  
Tempest couldn't believe her ears. She was overhearing a failed attempted murder plot!  
  
"As for that boy's grandpa and the younger Kaiba, well they are just pawns. Pegasus will get what he wants, then there is no use for the hostages," said Croquet.  
  
Tempest had heard enough. Her stomach was tied in a tight knot. She turned to leave. That is, leave for good. She was determined to leave the island ASAP.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing here?!" demanded Croquet as he left the room and saw the girl. Tempest jumped and felt her stomach heave.  
  
"I am going to be sick," she moan as she dropped her walking stick and doubled over. Croquet was on her in a second. He supported her back while gently guiding her to a nearby trash can. He leaned her over it just as she started to throw-up.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Not so fast!" yelled Yami, "The card Yu-Gi played was the Living Arrow. I can combined it with any of your cards to create virtually unlimited combinations. And I combined it with your Magic Void."  
  
"What?!" cried Pegasus.  
  
"That's right, it eliminates all of your magic cards on the field," smirked Yami, "Say good-bye to Toon World and Gorgon's Eye!"  
  
"But it is too little too late! My attack had been launched. Your Dark Magician is done for!" exclaimed Pegasus.  
  
"Not quite," declared Yami, "My other magic card is a trap card, and a personal favorite. Mirror Force reflects your attack back at you. And since all of your toons just got evicted, they are vulnerable to it."  
  
"No, my toons!" cried Pegasus as al of his monster disappeared. In this massive assault he was knocked down to 600 life points, giving Yami and Yu- Gi the edge.  
  
Cheering erupted from the audience.  
  
"Brilliant move Yu-Gi," smiled Pegasus, "You truly live up to your potential. But you cannot hope to win because now I play the Dark Eyes Illusionist."  
  
"The what!?" exclaimed all of the duelists.  
  
"It is a card I had specially designed for this tournament. It hasn't even been released yet," gloated Pegasus.  
  
"I remember Tempest mentioning something about the next set of cards," said Mai.  
  
"Yeah, they come out at the end of next week," added Lara.  
  
"Where is Tempest when you need her? She would know what that cards does," complained Joe.  
  
Pegasus's new monster had an Eye of Horus in the middle of its face. It was a sorcerer who was completely covered in multi-colored clothing that made its features indistinguishable. But the most surprising thing was that it had no attack or defense points.  
  
"What can he be thinking?" mocked Pegasus, "Playing a card with no attack or no defense points. But you are such a good duelist that I will let you figure that out for yourself."  
  
"I won't play your game," said Yu-Gi, "I play Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress in defense mode."  
  
"Then I play three cards," smiled Pegasus, "The first is a monster card that I will play face down. The second is the Dragon Capture Jar. You know what that does, don't you Yu-Gi?"  
  
"My dragon!" cried Yu-Gi. A large jar with a primitive face had appeared on the field. It emitted a strange light, which was aimed at the Winged Dragon. The Winged Dragon was caught in a whirling vortex of light and sealed in the jar. The jar's eyes glowed for a second then went blank. The dragon was Pegasus's prisoner.  
  
"Curse of Dragon!" summoned Yami, who had taken over. "Attack the Dark Eyes Illusionist!"  
  
"Not so fast," countered Pegasus as the skeleton dragon took flight. But then it froze in mid-air.  
  
"What happened?" asked Yami.  
  
"The Dark Eyes Illusionist's special ability paralyzes any attacking monster," gloated Pegasus. "And now for the finale! I play the Black Illusion Ritual."  
  
"Not a ritual!" exclaimed Yu-Gi.  
  
"Yes, I will open the gates of chaos," said Pegasus. "I sacrifice my monster and your dragon to morph my Dark Eyes Illusionist into the mighty Relinquished."  
  
"Relinquished?" wondered Joe.  
  
"I hardly think it is fair that Pegasus uses all of these cards that no one has even heard of," commented Mai.  
  
"This can't be good," muttered Tristan. Tea and Bakura looked grim.  
  
"Hi, guys," said Drake who seemed to appear out of no where. Down below the holo-field showed the dark ritual take place. The two sacrificed monsters disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. Their dying energies surrounded the Dark Eyes Illusionist and it began to transform. A second later the Relinquished stood in its place. It looked like a bony top. It had a long snout like protrusion with an Eye of Horus on it. It had a pair of bony wings and two chubby arms. It was covered in armor made of bone. But, like the Dark Eyes Illusionist it had no attack or defense.  
  
"What happened?" asked Bakura.  
  
"I almost got cornered, but Mokuba is safe," Drake answered.  
  
"Thank goodness," said Tea with a note of relief.  
  
"Did any one follow you?" asked Tristan.  
  
"No," he answered.  
  
"Didn't I tell you he would come through?" smiled Lara.  
  
"Yes you did," agreed Mai.  
  
"Then why did you bring Mokuba here?" asked Tristan.  
  
"It turned out to be the safest place," replied Drake. "The guards are combing this place."  
  
"So you bring him right to Pegasus," said Joe sarcastically.  
  
"Not really," Drake smiled. He pulled out a hat and placed it over Mokuba. "Mokuba is going to be Martin's twin."  
  
"What?!" asked Martin, loud enough that everyone actually heard him.  
  
"Don't you see the resemblance?" asked Drake with a smile. "Now stand up." He propped Mokuba against the railing.  
  
"It is very clever," commented Lara. Drake started to blush.  
  
"Relinquished, show Yu-Gi your might!" yelled Pegasus. The mid-section of the monster opened and began to inhale. It consumed the Curse of Dragon!  
  
"No!" cried Yu-Gi, but it was useless. He had lost another dragon. "Dark Magician Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician fired an orb of sheer dark energy at the bony monstrosity. But then a silhouette of the Curse of Dragon appeared in Relinquished's hide. That part was attacked and destroyed. The holo-field showed life points decreasing, but they were Yu- Gi's!  
  
"What happened?!" cried Yu-Gi.  
  
"The Relinquished used your own monster as a shield," explained Pegasus with arrogance. "And since the Curse of Dragon is your monster, you lose the life points." Yu-Gi was now down to 500 life points.  
  
"Ugh," moaned Tempest as she was escorted back by Croquet.  
  
"What happened, Tempest?" asked Mai as Tristan and Drake formed a barrier around Mokuba.  
  
"Your friend was a little sick," said Croquet as he left.  
  
"Are you sure you are OK?" asked Lara.  
  
"I've been better," she answered. "What did I miss?" The group quickly filled her in.  
  
"Relinquished use your power on the Dark Magician!" ordered Pegasus. The Relinquished inhaled the Dark Magician. A moment later his silhouette appeared in Pegasus's monster's hide.  
  
"NO!" cried Yu-Gi despairing that his favorite had been captured.  
  
"I need to find a way to speed up this duel before Yu-Gi can make a comeback," thought Pegasus, "It would be so much easier if I could read their minds, but if I try, they will only switch placed. I know! I will overload Yu-Gi's system and take him out of this duel." Yu-Gi was drawing his next card. Pegasus's Millennial Eye began to glow beneath his silvery hair.  
  
"I play this magic card face down," said Yu-Gi. He was struggling to get his hands to work. Dark bags appeared under his eyes and he was breathing hard.  
  
/Yu-Gi, what is happening? Are you OK?/ asked Yami.  
  
/I....I ugh..../ Yu-Gi moaned, then fainted.  
  
"Yu-Gi!" cried his friends as they saw him fall.  
  
"Pegasus you scum!" screamed Joe who almost jumped over the railing and charged him. Bakura and Tristan had to hold him back.  
  
"This is a new low, even for him," growled Drake.  
  
"I think I am going to be sick again," muttered Tempest again.  
  
/Yu-Gi!/ cried Yami. The Millennial Puzzle began to glow as Yami took over.  
  
"Pegasus you will not continue to persecute our friends and families. This will end now!" yelled Yami.  
  
"And you think that you are capable of beating me?" smirked Pegasus. "Your mind shuffle will no longer work. Give up now."  
  
"Never," growled Yami. The spectators watched with increasing loathing.  
  
"There has got to be something we can do ourselves," said Tea.  
  
"We have to help Yu-Gi fight this, with our hearts, like he and gramps are always telling us," said Joe.  
  
"Then let's work together, for Yu-Gi," concluded Tristan. They all placed their hands in a circle.  
  
"And now to end this," declared Pegasus, "I play the Jikuden Bagadan in defense mode. In two turns it special ability will activate, taking out the rest of your life points!" His new monster was a short, squat bronze machine. It had several thin mechanical arms and other various knobs.  
  
"Then I still have time," said Yami, "You haven't won yet."  
  
"We shall see," Pegasus said as he prepared to read Yami's mind. But he hit a brick wall.  
  
"What?" he muttered to himself. He looked up at Yu-Gi's friends. "Some how they are able to keep me out," he growled.  
  
"And now I play the Magical Boxes!" declared Yami.  
  
"Drats!" thought Pegasus, "If I was able to read his mind I would have been able to stop that."  
  
"First my Magician is enclosed, even though he is inside of Relinquished," explained Yami, "Then I will enclose your time bomb. Now watch as they switch places, sealing your Jikuden Bagadan inside of Relinquished and free the Dark Magician!" As he said it, the holo-field displayed the action.  
  
"I want to leave now, so bad," thought Tempest, "Then why can't I seem to pull myself from this duel? As soon as it is over I am bailing, I don't care what else happens."  
  
"Nice move, Yug."  
  
"Way to go!"  
  
"Keep up the pressure!"  
  
"Remember everything your grandpa taught you!" cheered the others.  
  
"It isn't over yet," smiled Yami, "I play the Feral Imp in defense mode to end my turn."  
  
"Then I will play a magic card face down," said Pegasus who was trying to recover. "On the next turn the Jikuden Bagadan will explode and it is all over for you!"  
  
"Maybe," smiled Yami, "But then I could do this. I play Brain Control on your Relinquished, making him and your time bomb mine until the end of my turn. Two ghostly hands grabbed Relinquished and put it on Yu-Gi's side of the field. "And then I will use the card that Yu-Gi sacrificed himself on. I play the Dark Magic Ritual. I will sacrifice the Feral Imp and the Jikuden Bagadan to morph my Dark Magician into the Magician of Black Chaos!"  
  
"No, not him!" cried Pegasus, "And Jikuden didn't even self-destruct."  
  
The gates of chaos were opened for the second time that duel and the Magician of Black Chaos stepped out. He had a blue face with scar like marks around his eyes. He had incredibly spiky black hair and a double conical hat that was striped pink and black. He had on evil looking armor that was primarily black with violet and pink trim. He also had a long staff and an attack of 2800.  
  
"Ha!" exclaimed Pegasus as he drew his next card, "For all the good that that monster will do you. I play the Thousand-Eyes Idol in defense mode and use the magic card I had played before, Polymerization. I will combined my two monsters, making the unstoppable Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"  
  
"What?" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"I read something about this," said Tempest.  
  
"Yeah, what?" asked Joe eagerly.  
  
"That monster is supposed to be pure special ability. Brute strength can't beat it," she answered.  
  
"What does that mean?!" demanded Joe.  
  
"I don't know, these cards aren't even on the market yet!" she yelled back.  
  
"Take it easy you two," cautioned Tea, "Yu-Gi can handle it, especially with all of us rooting for him."  
  
"I am so sure your cheerleading routine is the cause of Yu-Gi's victories," said Mai, sarcastically.  
  
"He just keeps reaching new lows," growled Drake. "This is so crooked I feel like I am standing on the wall."  
  
"Calm down," said Lara as she slipped her hand into his. Drake started to turn scarlet.  
  
"Don't let your guard down," encouraged Bakura. Martin was still starring wide-eyed. This had already become way too much for him.  
  
"What does it do?" asked Yami.  
  
"Now any monster you play is paralyzed," gloated Pegasus. "Just as soon as its thousand eyes open." One thousand eyelids appeared all over Relinquished as the merger was completed. Slowly those eyes began to open, showing the Magician of Black Chaos with eerie yellow light. The magician shuddered and started to tighten up.  
  
"Thousand-Eyes Restrict, open those peepers," Pegasus said loudly.  
  
"Your monster is unable to attack so I will play two cards face down and end my turn," snapped Yami.  
  
"Giving up without a fight?" mocked Pegasus, "Because Thousand-Eyes Restrict can also assimilate monsters." The Magician of Black Chaos was hanging limply on the field. "Show him your might and inhale the Magician of Black Chaos!" The Thousand-Eyes Restrict began to inhale and inhale. But the Magician of Black Chaos did not move.  
  
"What is going on?" wondered Pegasus.  
  
"You forgot to consider my face down cards," smirked Yami. "The first is Kuriboh, the second is Multiply. You are assimilating my monster all right, every single Kuriboh. And it doesn't matter how many you take because they keep coming." Down below hundreds of Kuriboh had appeared. They surrounded the magician, flew into the restrict, and clogged it up.  
  
"And don't forget," added Yami, "Kuribohs explode on contact."  
  
"NO!" cried Pegasus as the holo-field was covered with a chain reaction of explosions. Cheering was happening from the spectators. In the end the Thousand-Eyes Restrict was a smoldering wreck. All of its eyes were no longer functioning and the Magician of Black Chaos began to wake up. Yami could feel Yu-Gi come around as well.  
  
"NO! This can't be happening!" protested Pegasus as he saw his doom coming and knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it.  
  
"And to finish this, Magician of Black Chaos attack!" yelled Yami. With no attack points the damaged Thousand-Eyes Restrict didn't stand a chance. It was obliterated and Pegasus lost all of his life points. The holo-field then shut down, leaving a dumbfounded Pegasus.  
  
The spectators burst into cheering and high-five's. Drake and Lara embraced each other. Joe was yelling his head off and Mai was looking for something to throw at him. Tristan and Bakura were clapping so hard their hands were turning red. Tea screams were deafening those unfortunate enough to be nearby. Tempest tightened her grip on her backpack and called for Martin. She was ready to leave. Mokuba did nothing, no surprise.  
  
/Huh? What happened?/ wondered Yu-Gi as he woke up to cheering.  
  
/We won,/ said Yami, /I never could have done it without you./  
  
/I couldn't have done it without you,/ said Yu-Gi, /Grandpa!/  
  
"This isn't over yet!" yelled Pegasus, an evil gleam in his eye. His Millennial Eye began to glow strongly as he summoned his full powers.  
  
"What is he doing?!"  
  
Pegasus's corner of the room began to grow dark with heavy black clouds. These began to spread throughout the whole room. Yu-Gi's Millennial Puzzle began to glow strongly as well. Drake pulled Lara to the ground where they both ducked, his gauntlet and her locket pulsating slightly. Bakura's head snapped backward and a circle glowing golden circle appeared on his chest. Tristan was looking around, desperately trying to figure things out. Mai had thrown herself into Joe's arms out of fear. Tea stood, too shocked to react. Mokuba did nothing, no surprise. Tempest stopped in her tracks as she felt the strong tug of powers around her. A bright beacon shot out of her backpack. She didn't see this, but she did feel an increase in warmth. Martin dropped her hand started shaking. The world began to shift around them as the various lights competed with their strange, magic powers. 


	22. The Shadow Realm

"What happened?!" demanded Drake, standing up. He extended his hand and helped Lara to her feet.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Look at that!" cried Tea as she pointed to the arena.  
  
The entire field was covered with a dark cloud. Black energy waves pulsed through it. The hazy mist completely blocked the view of the dueling platforms, including Yu-Gi and Pegasus.  
  
"What happened?!" demanded Joe.  
  
"What did Pegasus do?" wondered Tristan.  
  
"Do you know anything about this, Drake?" asked Mai.  
  
"He mentioned something about the Shadow Realm, but I never imagined he'd go to such extreme lengths," Drake answered.  
  
THUD! There was a loud noise. All eyes turned behind them. Martin was laying on the ground, unconscious.  
  
"This must have been too much for him," muttered Lara. With the help of Tristan they moved Martin next to the unconscious Mokuba.  
  
"Where is Tempest?" asked Mai, looking around. The blind girl was no where to be seen.  
  
"Did you see her run off, Bakura?" asked Joe. "Bakura?" Bakura was gone too.  
  
"Where did they go?" asked Tristan.  
  
"I don't want to think about it," shuddered Tea, looking at the dark cloud that had engulfed half of the room.  
  
"Are you saying they are in there?" asked Joe.  
  
"Where else can they be?" whimpered Tea.  
  
"I hope they are safe," muttered Mai.  
  
"I don't think there is such a thing, not here, not now," muttered Drake so that no one could hear.  
  
"We have to do something, Drake!" exclaimed Lara.  
  
"The gauntlet and your locket aren't up to this," said Drake sadly. "But there is something else I need your help for. Come on!" Drake grabbed Lara's hand and ran off.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Tempest was laying flat on her back, disoriented.  
  
"Shayla." She heard someone whisper to her.  
  
"Huh? What?" wondered Tempest. Then it dawned on her. "That is my name."  
  
"Shayla," she said trying out her new name. "I like it." She sat up and opened her eyes.  
  
"What the?!" she exclaimed, tearing off her glasses. The filmy white substance that had long since covered her eyes was gone. She could see.  
  
She looked at the world around her for the first time. The area was dark. Black mists swirled around her ankles. It was impossible to see more than a few yards into it. Nearby Yu-Gi and Bakura were standing up as well. Pegasus was just beyond them, standing over them with his arms crossed and a sly smile.  
  
"What have you done?" demanded Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
"Isn't it obvious, I took us to the Shadow Realm," gloated Pegasus.  
  
"How is this possible?" wondered Shayla as she walked over.  
  
"It has to do with the Millennial Items," explained Yami Bakura, who had returned with the Millennial Ring.  
  
"They said I was incurable," muttered Shayla, blown away.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Yami Yu-Gi. "What happened to your eyes?" "I can see, isn't it great?" Shayla said. She looked Yami Yu-Gi straight in the eye. "Yu-Gi."  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"That is what you look like," she muttered, putting his face to memory.  
  
"How unusual," muttered Yami Bakura, his greed for the Millennial Puzzle and Millennial Eye growing. "What power made that small miracle possible?"  
  
"What do you want?" demanded Yami Yu-Gi, turning his attention back on Pegasus.  
  
"Your Millennial Items," smiled Pegasus. Shayla, still amazed that she could see, walked a little bit away from them. She began to rummage through her backpack, searching for keepsakes to examine. She found her deck and began to look at each card, tears streaming down her face. "Water Omotics, Mystical Sand, Queen of Autumn Leaves, Gemini Elf, Electro-Whip, Harpy Lady Sisters...."  
  
"You are persistent," stated Pegasus, "You survived my eliminators, even with the hints I gave them."  
  
"Hints?" wondered Yu-Gi, glaring at Pegasus.  
  
"I had all the data from your deck recorded by the holo-fields as you dueled in the first few rounds," smirked Pegasus. "It is a pity my eliminators couldn't put it to good use. Although I suspect Drake betrayed me in that sense."  
  
"You cheated," growled Yami Yu-Gi. Yami Bakura looked on with interest, looking for his chance.  
  
"What is going on here?!" a new voice demanded in the hazy realm.  
  
"Who's there?" asked Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
"Just a local," smiled Pegasus.  
  
"Pegasus, you dirty, rotten, scumbag!" the voice yelled.  
  
"Seto Kaiba! Where are you?" asked Yami Yu-Gi, recognizing the voice.  
  
"Yu-Gi? What are you doing here?" demanded Kaiba. The mist cleared enough to make-out Kaiba's form. His arms were slightly above his shoulders, chained to nothingness. He dangled there, looking like he had seen better days.  
  
"What is the matter, Kaiba?" asked Pegasus, "Do you not like my hospitality."  
  
"Drop dead," snapped Kaiba.  
  
"Enough is enough," said Yami Yu-Gi. "Pegasus, you have cheated enough. It is time that you stop messing with our friends and families."  
  
"I agree, it is time to end this. But the ending is not what you have predicted," smirked Pegasus.  
  
"You didn't predict much either," Yami Bakura smirked. "You didn't count on me being here." He reached into his pocket for his deck.  
  
"So you are just going to ignore me and leave me here," shouted Kaiba as he struggled futilely against his chains.  
  
"Do you want me to help?" asked Shayla, walking over. "Kaiba." She said as she memorized his face.  
  
"Fine by me," said Kaiba.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"What is it?" asked Lara as Drake led her though the castle.  
  
"There is something loose in here," said Drake.  
  
"What thing?" asked Lara.  
  
"AAAAAGGGHHHH!" screamed two guards as they raced around the corner.  
  
"That!" exclaimed Drake. Following close behind the guards was the rogue Man-Eater Bug.  
  
"How did that thing get loose?!" demanded Lara as the guards and Duel Monster raced by.  
  
"Come on!" yelled Drake as they joined the chase.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Morphing J...." Yami Bakura started to summon his monster. A beam of light shot out of Pegasus's Millennial Eye and knocked the card to the dingy ground. Yami Bakura clutched his hand in pain.  
  
"I don't think so," smiled Pegasus.  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Shayla asked Kaiba.  
  
"I have a lock pick in my wallet in my right pocket," said Seto, "I need you to get it out."  
  
"Sure," she nodded as she looked him in the eyes. It took her a second to figure her left from her right by looking at her hands, then she reached into Kaiba's trench coat.  
  
"I mean my right, your left....." groaned Kaiba.  
  
"Shayla," she filled in the blank. "My name is Shayla." (AN/ Shayla means blind.)  
  
"Enough games!" demanded Yami Yu-Gi. "You lost. Now keep you word and free them!"  
  
"All in good time," smiled Pegasus, "I find it interesting that you are so eager to end these games when games are all that you have done for the past week."  
  
"Grrr," growled Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"We can't just stand here," moaned Tea, "We have to do something!" The remaining few had walked down to the platform, just away from the dark mass.  
  
"Like what, Tea?" asked Joe.  
  
"You can't mean go in after him, that is nuts," protested Mai.  
  
"We don't exactly have a choice," Tristan pointed out.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"How did that thing get here?" Lara asked again as they pursued the Man- Eater Bug.  
  
"It probably has something to do with all of the Millennial Items roaming around," muttered Drake. They had cornered the Man-Eater Bug in the party room. There, the Duel Monster had cornered the two guards. They were clinging to each other for dear life.  
  
"This is your area of expertise," said Drake. Lara nodded.  
  
"Lady of Faith," said Lara. She pulled the card out of her deck and put it in her locket. A second later and a flash of light the actual monster was in front of them! She had medium length blue hair and a maroon priestess robe. "Stop that bug!" The Lady of Faith said a prayer and the Man-Eater Bug was returned to the Shadow Realm. Lara then removed the card from her locket. The guards opened their eyes when they realized they weren't being eaten.  
  
"What happened?" one asked as he noticed Drake and Lara.  
  
"That Millennial Locket of yours sure comes in handy," said Drake, ignoring the guards. He blushed slightly, but put his arm around Lara's waist and escorted her out.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"What is with the bad attitude, Yu-Gi?" asked Pegasus, sarcastically.  
  
"Enough joking around, Pegasus," snapped Yami Yu-Gi. "I demand that you take us back, now!"  
  
Shayla had pulled two wallets out of Kaiba's pocket. She looked at them. Both were roughly the same size and weight.  
  
"The lock pick is in the blue wallet," said Seto Kaiba. Shayla could see that the wallets were different colors, but she couldn't tell which color was blue. She continued to stare at the objects in her hands.  
  
"What is the problem?!" demanded Kaiba, growing impatient. "Don't you know which one is blue?!"  
  
"Actually, no," she admitted, looking up at him with her melted chocolate colored eyes.  
  
"What is the matter?! Have you been blind your whole life?!" he yelled.  
  
"Actually, yes," she said. She looked at him with such sincerity that he was momentarily stunned. "I got here and suddenly I can see."  
  
"OK, whatever," said Kaiba, shaking his head, "The one in your left hand."  
  
"This one?" she asked.  
  
"No, my left, your right," explained Kaiba. Shayla opened the wallet. It was full of bent pieces of wire, small screw drivers, a pocket knife, and other assorted pieces of metal. "Take out that piece of wire. Put it in the keyhole and move it around until the lock releases."  
  
"OK," agreed Shayla. She found the hole and began to work on Kaiba's right hand.  
  
"Yu-Gi, you are so naive," gloated Pegasus. "There is so many ways to take you out right now. I could just leave you here. Or I could summon my monsters to finish you. The Mystical Capture Chain worked wonders on Kaiba."  
  
"You are a fool Pegasus," growled Yami Bakura, still mad about his hurting hand.  
  
"But why would I do that?" continued Pegasus, mostly to himself. "I have two excellent Millennial Items here. Why not take this opportunity?"  
  
"Why not indeed?" said Yami Bakura, charging. The blast from Pegasus's Millennial Eye knocked him to the ground, paralyzed.  
  
"Too bad, better luck next time. You'd better learn. Then again, there isn't going to be a next time," gloated Pegasus over Bakura's groaning form.  
  
"Bakura!" exclaimed Yami Yu-Gi still concerned for his possessed friend.  
  
/We have to do something!/ exclaimed Yu-Gi.  
  
/We have no idea what Pegasus has in mind. The Shadow Realm is a dangerous place. We have to be careful./ Yami pointed out.  
  
"It is so much fun toying with them," thought Pegasus, "But this will have to end soon." His eye rolled over to Shayla and Kaiba. "I have no idea how she got here. It was a mistake. But she can't be allowed to interfere. She can't be allowed to free Kaiba. I have too much at stake."  
  
"Yu-Gi boy, don't you see? You don't stand a chance. Your magic combined is not strong enough to take mine on. And you aren't at all experienced in the Shadow Realm. I can toy with you at my leisure," gloated Pegasus.  
  
"How hard can this be?!" complained Kaiba as Shayla tried to pick the lock that was holding him.  
  
"I am sorry," said Shayla, sarcastically, "This whole hand and eye coordination thing is new to me."  
  
"Grrr," growled Kaiba out of impatience.  
  
"Listen," snapped Shayla, "I know you are worried about your brother. I know you are mad at Pegasus. And I know you tired of being trapped here. But biting my head off is going to get you nowhere." Kaiba gaped a little, surprised at her attitude.  
  
"Pegasus, it is you who don't stand a chance!" yelled Yami Yu-Gi as he stood protectively over Yami Bakura. "As long as I have my friends and the heart of the cards, you cannot win."  
  
"Perhaps a demonstration is in order, to convince you how pathetic you beliefs are," smiled Pegasus. His Millennial Eye sparkled. Yami Yu-Gi prepared to defend himself. But at the last second Pegasus turned his head and fired his attack at Shayla!  
  
"What!?" cried Yami Bakura.  
  
"No!" yelled Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
"Look out!" exclaimed Seto Kaiba. Shayla whipped around in time to see the beam of light bearing down on her. She dropped the lock pick in surprise.  
  
Suddenly another beam of light shone from her backpack. It shot straight up, mixing with Pegasus's attack. There was a big rush of wind and everyone shielded their eyes. When they opened them Shayla was standing, unharmed.  
  
"That was intense!" she exclaimed in a quiet voice.  
  
"What happened?!" demanded Pegasus. Her backpack was glowing slightly.  
  
"What do you have in there, a nuclear reactor?" asked Kaiba, sarcastically. Shayla looked at him. Without a word she opened her backpack and rummaged around. The light grew more concentrated as she opened it. She quickly found its source; the gift Luther had given her.  
  
Shayla smiled as she saw it. She wished she could see the face of the person who had given it to her. It glowed beautiful, its golden metal glittered. She reached under and picked it up by the base, its joint caused the crossbar to tilt, slightly. The glowing stopped the minute her fingers brushed the surface. Everyone gasped as it was revealed.  
  
"The Millennial Scales!" exclaimed Yami Bakura, greedily.  
  
"She is the bearer of a Millennial Item!" exclaimed Pegasus.  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Shayla.  
  
"Do you know what that is, Tempest?" asked Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
"It is Shayla, and this is a gift from Luther," she answered.  
  
"Those are the Millennial Scales, one of seven ancient Millennial Items," explained Yami Yu-Gi. Shayla looked at the symbol on the joint of her scales. Then she looked at Yami Yu-Gi, Yami Bakura, and Pegasus. They all had jewelry with the same symbol on it.  
  
"What is going on here?" she asked.  
  
"This is better than I ever could have imagined!" yelled Pegasus. "Three Millennial Items. And they will all be mine!" He charged up his Millennial Eye for a strong magic spell. Light began to radiate. First it covered Yami Bakura, who began to writhe in pain.  
  
"Bakura!" cried Yami Yu-Gi, a second later the light covered him as well. He dropped to the ground in pain. Shayla watched this, horrified. Yami and Yu-Gi were being pulled away from each other. So was Bakura and his dark self. Each one began to grow transparent as more magic was used. Pegasus held up two empty soul cards, ready to claim them as his own.  
  
"I will seal your souls away forever!" yelled Pegasus, "Then nothing shall stop me from claiming the Millennial Items!" The light grew more intense. Yami Yu-Gi and Yami Bakura tried to fight back, but they were trapped.  
  
/Yu-Gi! Hang on!/ cried Yami through the pain.  
  
/Can't......hurts...../ moaned Yu-Gi as Pegasus tried to rip his soul from his body.  
  
"I have to do something," thought Shayla as she reached into her backpack.  
  
Pegasus continued to focus his magic on Yu-Gi and Bakura. With them incapacitated it would be easy to steal their Millennial Items. Then Pegasus broadened his magic to include Shayla, as well. He turned his head a millimeter to get her in view. But much to his surprise, she was no longer standing there.  
  
"Take that!" screamed Shayla who had snuck up behind him. She raised her walking stick high and brought it down on his head. She hit him so hard the Pegasus could feel his Millennial Eye rattling inside of his eye socket. With a snap the walking stick broke clean in two. The light stopped. The bearers of the other Millennial Items were laying on the ground, gasping for air.  
  
"So, there is some fight in you," said Pegasus as he rubbed his head. He turned around to face Shayla. "Too bad it is all in vain." He charged up his Millennial Eye to attack her. "Your soul will be mine as well. And with you out of the way, your scales will be mine!" A bright light shot from his eye and covered Shayla. She cried out in surprise, dropping the remains of her walking stick. She hand instinctively tightened around her Millennial Scales.  
  
"Shayla!" cried Yami Yu-Gi and Seto Kaiba. Yami Yu-Gi was still to weak to stand up.  
  
"What happened?!" cried Pegasus. He had quit his spell. Shayla was standing there, unharmed, shielding her eyes. "Why couldn't I take her soul?!"  
  
"You can't take from me what I don't own!" she snapped.  
  
"What?" asked Pegasus in surprise.  
  
"I am a Christian. My soul is not mine, I gave it to God. Even you are not strong enough to take it from him," Shayla said, her Millennial Scales responded by pulsing.  
  
"Have it your way," snarled Pegasus, "There is always another way. I challenge you to a duel. If I win I get your Millennial Scales. If you win the three of you go free."  
  
"WHAT!?" cried Shayla. This had been the very thing she had tried to avoid.  
  
"You have no choice, you'd better accept," smiled Pegasus, now completely composed. Shayla looked down at Yami Yu-Gi and Yami Bakura. They were still too hurt to help.  
  
"They will do you no good," said Pegasus. "Binding Chain!" He held up a card. From out of nowhere chains came and locked around Yami Yu-Gi and Yami Bakura.  
  
"What the?!" cried Yami Bakura.  
  
"Pegasus you scum! You cheater!" cried Yami Yu-Gi as he futilely tried to free himself.  
  
"I believe I have said the same thing," muttered Kaiba as he saw the other two end up in the same situation he was in.  
  
"So what will it be?" taunted Pegasus, "A duel or remain here, imprisoned forever."  
  
"You can't make me...." Shayla started to argue.  
  
"Don't be difficult, my dear," said Pegasus coyly, "Or do I have to get your other friends involved as well?"  
  
"Martin?" asked Shayla, now very nervous. She thought, "It is time someone calls someone's bluff."  
  
"You can't hurt Martin. The same power that protects me protects him," Shayla said, hoping that her helper would be safe.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about him," said Pegasus smoothly. "It is you who are in- danger. You might as well duel, or else you are going to be spending a very long time here."  
  
Shayla looked around; at Yami Bakura, Seto Kaiba, and Yami Yu-Gi. She was as trapped as they were and she knew it.  
  
/Is there any way she can get out of this?/ Yu-Gi asked Yami.  
  
/Passage out of the Shadow Realm must be decided by a duel,/ explained Yami, /She does not have to accept, but then we are all trapped unless we can force Pegasus to duel us./  
  
/How do we do that?/  
  
/We can't until we are free./  
  
"I am getting tired of silence. Make up your mind," ordered Pegasus. Shayla looked around like a trapped rat. But then her Millennial Scales pulsed under her sensitive fingertips. Its warmth comforted her.  
  
"I wish Luther was here now," she thought as she remembered the day Luther gave the scales to her.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"I have something for you," said Luther. He was tall, almost a head taller than Shayla. That was saying a lot because she was one of the tallest girls at the orphanage. He had darker skin than his little brother and a perfect smile. His hair was all shaved off, which looked good on him.  
  
"What?" asked Shayla, who was calling herself Kanan at the time.  
  
"I bought you a gift," repeated Luther.  
  
"A gift? For me?" Kanan/Shayla exclaimed. She had never been given a personal gift before.  
  
"That is what I said," Luther smiled, "I was at the flea market and this caught my eye. I instantly thought of you and how you are trying to right every wrong in the world."  
  
"What is wrong about that?" asked Kanan.  
  
"Nothing, that is why I love you," said Luther. Kanan smiled brightly. Luther gently took her left hand and put a bag into it. Kanan set it on her lap and reached in. She was a little confused as first, but her keen hands eventually identified the object.  
  
"Scales?" she asked, surprised.  
  
"They are perfect for you," Luther smiled, "And, who knows. Maybe they help you decide right and wrong." Kanan ran her fingers down the middle, tracing the ridges with her index finger.  
  
"Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me!" she exclaimed. She bent over to give Luther a thank you kiss, but missed. She ended up kissing his left eye instead. They pulled apart, both laughing.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"I will duel you," she agreed, swallowing. A knot tightened in her stomach.  
  
"You don't stand a chance," snapped Yami Bakura.  
  
"Bakura, hush!" ordered Yami Yu-Gi, "If we ever want to get out of here, we need to support her. She has to believe in the heart of the cards like never before."  
  
"We are all doomed," muttered Kaiba. "If I couldn't win there is no way she can."  
  
"Come my dear," smiled Pegasus. He clapped his hands and instantly a dueling arena appeared.  
  
"What?" she asked as she shrank back.  
  
"Don't be afraid, it is just a game," said Pegasus. Pegasus walked to the far end of the field, there was no platforms. He took his place. Shayla walked to hers, legs slightly shaking. She set her Millennial Scales down on the dueling table in front of her and pulled out her deck. Pegasus did the same and they put their cards in the appropriate position.  
  
"It is time to duel," said Pegasus, happily. Shayla didn't reply. She just tried to stop her hands from shaking.  
  
"This is too much," she thought, "This is insane. The stakes are too high. I don't stand a chance."  
  
"What, no enthusiasm?" asked Pegasus. "Being such the gentleman that I am, I will let you go first."  
  
"Gentleman? What an idiot," spat Kaiba.  
  
/How is Shayla going to win this?/ asked Yu-Gi.  
  
/I have no idea. She has powers that have not been tapped. She doesn't not know her abilities with the Millennial Scales. They have lain dormant all this time and have only just been awakened. We could be in for some surprises,/ answered Yami.  
  
"I play a monster card and a magic card face down," declared Shayla, making a cautious first move.  
  
"A lot of good playing face down cards does you," muttered Pegasus. His Millennial Eye glittered as he prepared to look into her mind to find out her cards. An invisible wave of magic approach the orphan. But this caused her Millennial Scales to respond. A bright flash of light was over Shayla as two different magics were used.  
  
"OOOUUUUUWWW!" she moaned, from the blackest pit of despair.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"This isn't good," moaned Tea, her concern for Yu-Gi growing.  
  
"We are going in after him," stated Joe with determination.  
  
"Come on," said Tristan. The trio had made their way to the bottom, near the dark cloud. They set the two unconscious boys down behind them. They then began to walk cautiously towards the strange haze. Tea was the first to reach it. She stuck out her left hand tentatively.  
  
"AH!" she gasped as the hand entered the mist. She puled in back quickly when she saw her own hand coming straight back at her!  
  
"What is up with that?" asked Joe, shaking. Tea stared, wide-eyed.  
  
"I'm going in!" yelled Tristan. He charged the cloud and entered at full speed. He disappeared into the cloud.  
  
But then Tristan looked around. He was on the other side of the field! The black cloud was to his back. He had gone through it, and was unable to stay in it.  
  
"Tristan?" asked Drake as he and Lara returned.  
  
"Where did you come from?" asked Lara, equal confused by the magic act.  
  
"The other side," replied Tristan, looking over his shoulder at the strange magic haze.  
  
"Any sign of them?" asked Lara.  
  
"No," said Tristan sadly. "I am heading back." He turned and raced through, only to appear on the other side by Tea and Joe.  
  
"No luck?" asked Joe, depressed.  
  
"No," replied Tristan. Just then Lara and Drake emerged from behind him, through the mist.  
  
"I am never doing that again," whined Lara.  
  
"I think I agree with you," muttered Drake.  
  
"Now what do we do?" asked Tea. Lara tugged Drake closer and whispered in his ear.  
  
"Do you think your Millennial Gauntlet could teleport use their?" she asked.  
  
"I don't think so, I don't even now where 'there' is," Drake stated dejectedly.  
  
"Could we force our way in with the Locket and the Gauntlet?" asked Lara, trying to come up with an idea.  
  
"I don't think so," Drake admitted, "Dad's magic is stronger than mine."  
  
"What are the two of you whispering about?" asked Joe.  
  
"I think I know," snickered Tea. Drake and Lara pulled away. Scarlet coloring was creeping up Drake's neck.  
  
"If we can't get in and we can't contact them, what do we do?" asked Tristan, trying to evaluate the situation.  
  
"We could put our hearts together and try to protect them from here," suggested Joe.  
  
"Well, it worked when Yu-Gi dueled Kaiba," said Tea, thoughtfully.  
  
"And today when Yu-Gi was facing Pegasus," added Tristan.  
  
"It is the best we can do," admitted Joe. The three friends put their hands in a circle, hoping that their friendship would be enough.  
  
"I don't think this is going to work," said Lara, looking at Drake.  
  
"I have an idea! My dad's study! Maybe he has something recorded there, some kind of information we can use," suggested Drake.  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Lara. The couple ran off to Pegasus's private tower.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"What did you do, Pegasus?" demanded Kaiba when he saw Shayla's reaction.  
  
"Me? How dare you accuse me? I did nothing," protested Pegasus, pseudo- angrily.  
  
"I can't see, I can't see," moaned Shayla. Her eyes had gone back to being covered with the milky substance she had lived with. Yami Yu-Gi and Yami Bakura gasped in surprise.  
  
"How unusual," muttered Pegasus, showing no sympathy. He once again tried to enter Shayla's mind for information about her cards.  
  
"What!? No! I am blocked! I can't enter her mind! The door way is shut! And it is all because she is blind!" exclaimed Pegasus in frustration. Shayla gritted her teeth when he admitted this.  
  
/He can't read her mind?/ wondered Yu-Gi.  
  
/The eyes are the windows to the soul. Her eyes are dark. She at least has that advantage over Pegasus,/ Yami replied, thoughtfully.  
  
/I would hardly call that an advantage,/ Yu-Gi pointed out. /Why would Pegasus take away her eye sight, if it puts him at a disadvantage?/  
  
/I don't think Pegasus did this,/ Yami responded.  
  
/Then what did?/ wondered Yu-Gi.  
  
/I think it was the Millennial Scales./  
  
/The Millennial Scales?! Why would her own Millennial Item turn on her?/  
  
/Think about the scales, they represent justice./  
  
/That is what Shayla was calling herself when we first met!/ exclaimed Yu- Gi.  
  
/Yes. The Scales make the duel fair. They used their power to overcome Pegasus's cheating,/ explained Yami.  
  
/What a harsh way to deal with cheaters,/ muttered Yu-Gi.  
  
"I don't need to see your cards to win," spat Pegasus. "I play two cards too; one magic, one monster. I play Trap Master in attack mode and I'll have it destroy your magic card." The Trap Master looked like a demented clown, with a red hat, black hair, and green cape, from the waist up. But from the waist down it looked like a Swiss army knife. The primary piece was a large chain-saw, which it used to cut through trap cards. Its stats were 500 and 1100.  
  
In the Shadow Realm the monster was really there. Seto Kaiba looked with shock and wonder, but Yami Yu-Gi and Yami Bakura weren't surprised. Duels in the Shadow Realm are very real, although Shayla was oblivious to this fact.  
  
"Your trap card is as good as gone," smiled Pegasus.  
  
"Assuming it is a trap card," muttered Kaiba. He was officially ticked off, having been so close to freedom and having that hope taken away. "I wish my holographic projectors were this realistic. That is something I am going to have to work harder at for my next game."  
  
The trap card that Shayla had played was sent to the graveyard. It was, indeed a trap card.  
  
"Since I used its special ability, I cannot attack this turn," said Pegasus. "But the next turn, your monster is done for!"  
  
"What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" wondered Shayla as she nervously drew her next card. "Kunai with Chain? This isn't part of my deck. How did it get in here?" Then it dawned on her. "My deck still has Lara's modifications in it."  
  
"I play a magic card face down and end my turn," declared Shayla as she played Kunai with Chain.  
  
"Is that all? Are you too afraid to attack?" taunted Pegasus. "How pathetic. Trap Master, attack her monster card!"  
  
"Not so fast! I played Kunai with Chain last turn," said Shayla. "You should know what that does."  
  
"No!" gaped Pegasus. A chain stopped the Trap Master in its tracks. The chain was held by Shayla's monster, who was revealed to be Kanan the Swordmistress. A beautiful warrior appeared. She had shoulder length blonde hair that half covered her face. She had on green and silver armor that looked very stylish. She wielded an impressive sword. Her attack and defense was the same at 1400. But do to Kunai with Chain, her attack was now 1900.  
  
"I activate my magic card Shield and Sword!" declared Pegasus. At the last instant her monster was dropped to 1400 attack and his Trap Master was raised to 1100. They clashed and the Trap Master was destroyed. Pegasus was down to 1700 life points.  
  
"She actually did damage," muttered Yami Bakura.  
  
"So, you aren't the coward you appear to be," said Pegasus. "But this is only the beginning. I play Parrot Dragon in attack mode." His new monster looked like a green macaw, but it stood taller, with strange wings that could act as arms. It had an attack of 2000. "Destroy Kanan!"  
  
"No!" gasped Shayla as her monster was sent to the graveyard. She was down 100 life points.  
  
"What am I going to do?" she asked herself, "I am in way over my head. How can I get out of this without anyone getting hurt? Please, Jesus, don't let anyone get hurt." She drew her next card.  
  
"I play a monster card in defense mode, as well as a magic card to end my turn," she declared as she played her Invader of the Throne. The Invader of the Throne was very similar to the Protector of the Throne. The invader had long blue hair and a scarlet gown. She played with a transparent orb while she reclined on the king's throne. Her defense was 1700.  
  
"Too bad, it is too weak to stand up to my monsters," smiled Pegasus. "I play my Togex and attack with Parrot Dragon." He laid down his new monster. It was muscular and pale green. It looked like a cartoon lizard that had been crossed with a sofa. Spiky dog collars encircled its arms. It had an attack of 1600 and a defense of 1800. Shayla's Invader of the Throne was eliminated immediately.  
  
"This isn't good. What am I going to do?" Shayla wondered, near panicking.  
  
/I hope she wins. I can hardly watch,/ said Yu-Gi.  
  
/She isn't confident in herself,/ Yami pointed out.  
  
/What?/ wondered Yu-Gi.  
  
/She is nervous. She has little faith in herself. She is afraid that she does not stand a chance. She needs to start believing in herself and trusting her deck,/ Yami explained.  
  
/How can we help her with that?/ asked Yu-Gi.  
  
/I don't know. It would be easier if she had a friend here,/ Yami sighed.  
  
"I play the Empress Judge in attack mode!" Shayla declared as she laid down her next card.  
  
"For all the good that that will do you," Pegasus said sarcastically. "You cannot hope to win. You know that. I know that. Give it up. You aren't fooling anyone."  
  
"We shall see," Shayla snapped.  
  
"Well, I'll see, but you won't," smirked Pegasus. Shayla ignored this last comment and ordered her Empress Judge to attack the Togex. Pegasus now had 1400 life points.  
  
"What have I here?" smirked Pegasus as he drew his next card. "Could it be? I play Toon World."  
  
"No!" gasped Yami Yu-Gi.  
  
"It is as good as over," muttered Seto Kaiba.  
  
"But that is not all," smiled Pegasus as his Parrot Dragon entered Toon World. "I also play the Dark Rabbit and power it up with Dark Energy." A comical toon rabbit was the next to appear. It was black with a silly bowtie and looked like a bunny version o Gumby ©. Its raised stats were 2100 and 1500.  
  
"If I move my Empress Judge to defense mode she will be destroyed," thought Shayla, "But if I keep her in attack mode I could lose life points. This is insane."  
  
"Why don't you give up now?" asked Pegasus. "You cannot win. Surrender now and I may just let you go back to your home. Of course, I get to keep the Millennial Scales."  
  
"Shut-up!" yelled Shayla, frustrated, "I play Red Archery Girl in defense mode." Her next monster was a mermaid sitting inside of a pink clam. She had wavy green hair and scales and carried a huge bow. Her attack was 1400 and her defense was 1500.  
  
"Then I will destroy it," smiled Pegasus, "Dark Rabbit attack!" Her monster was instantly gone in the toon's comically insane attack. "But that is not all. I play the magic card Reborn the Monster. I can resurrect any monster that has been destroyed under my power. And I chose your Red Archery Girl."  
  
"No!" gasped Shayla. Her mermaid re-appeared on Pegasus's side of the field. "And it will enter Toon World, creating the Toon Mermaid!" Her monster was transformed. It had an oversized head with extra large eyes. It looked like a chibi version of the Red Archery Girl. The stats were the same, though.  
  
/Can't we use the Millennial Puzzle to escape some how?/ asked Yu-Gi.  
  
/No, this is the Shadow Realm. We will not be free until the end of this duel. Somehow the full power of the puzzle is being blocked,/ explained Yami, /Bakura has been trying with no luck./ Yami Yu-Gi looked over to a very frustrated Yami Bakura who was futilely using his magic to free himself.  
  
"And since that was a special summon, I can summon another monster. I play Bickuribox," smiled Pegasus as his next monster took its place in Toon World. It looked like a gray chicken inside a jack-in-the-box. It had an attack of 2300 and a defense of 2000.  
  
"I am in so much trouble," thought Shayla. She had no cards in play. Pegasus had his Toon World, Bickuribox, Parrot Dragon, powered-up Dark Rabbit, and Toon Mermaid.  
  
"Shayla listen to me," said Yami Yu-Gi, picking up her distress. "You have to believe in yourself. You cannot win unless you trust yourself and your deck. You have to believe in the heart of the cards.  
  
"Great," thought Shayla, "Not only am I about to lose, but I am getting a sermon. Great." She drew her next card. "Pot of Greed? This wasn't in my deck. Another one of Lara's modifications."  
  
"I use the magic card Pot of Greed to draw two more cards," Shayla declared as she used her magic card. Her next two cards were Dragon Capture Jar and the Mystical Sand. "I didn't have a Dragon Capture Jar in my deck either."  
  
"I play two magic cards and the Queen of Autumn Leaves," Shayla said as her next monster appeared. "One of my magic cards is the Dragon Capture Jar. Say good by to your Parrot Dragon." The Parrot Dragon was sucked out of Toon World and imprisoned in the ancient jar.  
  
"No way! Since when did you use Dragon Capture Jars!?" cried Pegasus.  
  
"The other magic card is Vile Germs, which raises her attack to 2300," declared Shayla. She couldn't attack because all of his monsters were still hiding in Toon World.  
  
"I play Magic Void, which neutralizes your power up," declared Pegasus. "Bickuribox attack!" Shayla was brought down to 1400 life points, even with Pegasus.  
  
"I play a monster in defense mode," she said, running out of moves.  
  
"Then I play Defense Paralysis," said Pegasus, "Your monster and any other monsters you play must be in attack mode." Her monster was revealed to be the Dark Elf. "Bickuribox attack!" Shayla had 1100 life points.  
  
"I don't want to have my monsters destroyed one by one," Shayla thought, "What can I do?" She drew the Electro-Whip.  
  
"I play the Mystical Sand in attack mode and a magic card," said Shayla as her favorite appeared.  
  
"Is this the best you have? Pity that this game will be over so soon. Bickuribox attack!" ordered Pegasus.  
  
"I don't think so," said Shayla. "You forgot about my magic card. It was the Electro-Whip. The Mystical Sand now has an attack of 2600."  
  
"That means my Bickuribox....." moaned Pegasus.  
  
"Is destroyed," finished Shayla as Pegasus was brought down to 1100 life points.  
  
/Maybe she will win this!/ thought Yu-Gi hopefully.  
  
/I hope you are right,/ muttered Yami.  
  
"And now I play the Mystical Elf in defense mode," she declared.  
  
"Ha! You forgot about Defense Paralysis!" exclaimed Pegasus.  
  
"Dang it!" she muttered.  
  
"Toon Mermaid destroy the elf!" ordered Pegasus happily.  
  
"It hurts to be attacked by your own monster," muttered Kaiba, remembering his duel. Shayla was down to 500 life points.  
  
"It is over," grinned Pegasus, "Go cry to your Mommy." Shayla snapped.  
  
"What do you know?!" she yelled. "My mother hated me! She abandoned me before she even bothered to name me!"  
  
/That is why she kept changing her name!/ gasped Yu-Gi. Yami Bakura and Seto Kaiba were equally shocked.  
  
"Go cry to someone who cares," Pegasus shot back.  
  
"The only person whoever cared about me is dead!" she yelled, boarder lining mental breakdown. "He was killed in a hit and run accident. The person responsible was never found. Do you call that caring?! No one would ever have anything to do with me, just because I am blind. Does that sound like caring to you?! My own family abandoned me and never looked back! I was isolated from everyone I met! Then I finally found someone who cared and he was taken from me! Do you call that fair, you heartless jerk?!" Her Millennial Scales began to shine.  
  
/She is using her magic!/ exclaimed Yami.  
  
/What is she doing?/ asked Yu-Gi.  
  
/I think the Millennial Scales are trying to equalize things,/ said Yami. Light engulfed the arena, covering the duel. Pegasus was suddenly flooded with memories that he had tried hard to forget.  
  
"No, Celia!" he moaned before collapsing. A hole was torn in the mist of the Shadow Realm. It grew wider and wider. The chains fell from Yami Bakura and Yami Yu-Gi. The Shadow Realm disappeared, leaving them in the middle of the dueling field.  
  
Well, not all of them.....  
  
"What the heck happened?!" demanded Kaiba as he was left behind. He had entered the Shadow Realm a different way and had to leave that same way. "This is unfair." 


	23. Revelations

Back in reality Shayla had collapsed, sobbing.  
  
"The penguin guy was right. Insanity is contagious," she thought as the memories of Luther's death opened fresh wounds.  
  
"They're back!" exclaimed Tea as she rushed to embrace Yu-Gi. Joe and Tristan gave Bakura pats on the back. There was a lot of cheering.  
  
"Are you OK, kid?" asked Mai as she approached Shayla. Shayla shook her head.  
  
"Hey! Where did Pegasus go?" asked Joe. Everyone looked around, Pegasus was gone.  
  
"That coward!" cried Joe, "After Yu-Gi beat him and everything."  
  
"Where could he have gone?" wondered Tea.  
  
"He couldn't have gotten far," Tristan pointed out.  
  
"You don't want to go and look for him? Do you?" asked Mai as she helped Shayla to her feet. Martin, who had recently woke up, was instantly by his friend's side. Shayla's walking stick dangled from her right hand, broken in two.  
  
"We have to," said Joe, "to get gramps and the Kaibas back."  
  
"Let's start looking," suggested Yu-Gi.  
  
"Shouldn't someone stay here to watch Mokuba?" asked Tristan.  
  
"I'll stay," volunteered Bakura. He was thinking, "Pegasus is weak now. It is the perfect time to strike. His Millennial Eye will be mine!"  
  
"Let's go," said Joe.  
  
"Where? This place is like a maze. I already got lost in it," said Tea.  
  
"It doesn't do us any good to stand around and talk," said Yu-Gi. The group of friends; Tristan, Joe, Tea, and Yu-Gi began to leave.  
  
"Hey! We are coming too!" exclaimed Mai as she pulled Shayla behind her. Martin followed in their shadow. Bakura smiled evilly as they left, then turned and walked out of another door. He used his Millennial Ring to guide him, leaving Mokuba behind.  
  
The group had walked through many hallways, finding no clue of the missing Pegasus.  
  
"Well, where can he be?" asked Joe in frustration. They turned a corner and almost ran right into Croquet, Kemo, Lara, and Drake.  
  
"Mr. Drake," Croquet was saying, "You must listen to your father and start obeying the rules and....."  
  
"Oh, hi!" greeted Lara as she saw the group. The guards had waylaid them, and they were unable to get to Pegasus's study.  
  
"Um, have you seen your dad anywhere, Drake?" asked Tristan, "He seems to have disappeared."  
  
"No, what happened?" asked Drake, not really concerned.  
  
"Mr. Pegasus is missing?" asked Kemo.  
  
"Come on, we have to find him," said Croquet. The two guards walked off.  
  
"Thanks for getting me out of that situation," said Drake, gratefully. "I am glad to see that you all made it back OK."  
  
"No thanks to your dad," muttered Joe, "He is completely insane."  
  
"Shayla really deserves the thanks," Yu-Gi pointed out, "It was her Millennial Scales that got us out of there."  
  
"It was nothing. I had no idea what I did," Shayla admitted.  
  
"The Millennial Scales!" exclaimed Drake and Lara together. Shayla didn't answer, but pulled her treasure out of her backpack. They glittered beautifully.  
  
"Where did you get them from?" asked Lara. Shayla looked down, remembering Luther.  
  
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!" a loud scream resounded throughout the whole castle.  
  
"What was that?!" asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"It sounded like Pegasus," answered Joe.  
  
"He's in the study," said Drake, knowing the layout if the castle better than anyone else.  
  
"Come on!" encouraged Tristan as he raced towards the terrace. Everyone else followed.  
  
"Why are we hurrying to help Pegasus?" asked Mai, but no one answered. She fell behind the others to help lead Shayla. Martin was with them. Shayla stopped in her tracks. A cold shiver raced through her, causing her to shudder.  
  
"Come on," urged Mai as the other part of the group raced ahead.  
  
They reached the entrance to Pegasus's private study in time to see Croquet and Kemo carrying a near unconscious Pegasus away.  
  
"What happened?" demanded Drake.  
  
"Mr. Pegasus had fallen ill," said Croquet. "All duels are postponed." He walked away curtly.  
  
"What happened?" asked Lara as she stepped closer to Drake.  
  
"I don't know. But I don't like it," muttered Drake.  
  
"I seem to remember something about this place," said Tea, thoughtfully.  
  
"Wasn't Bakura here with us?" asked Tristan.  
  
"What are the two of you talking about?" asked Joe.  
  
"We were here before," answered Tea, "but I can't seem to remember much else."  
  
"What are we waiting for?" asked an impatient Joe as he raced up the staircase. The door had been accidentally left open by the guards.  
  
"Hey! Wait!" protested Yu-Gi. Tea, Drake, Lara, Tristan, and Yu-Gi followed him. That was when Mai, Martin, and Shayla made it to the terrace.  
  
"Did you see Pegasus?" asked Mai.  
  
"No, I didn't," snapped Shayla.  
  
"Sorry," apologized Mai. "It looks like someone beat the stuffing out of him. I wonder what happened?" She lead Shayla into the tower.  
  
The first group had just entered Pegasus's study and were looking around. His deck was on a desk, with three cards; Happy Lover, Mask of Dark Destruction, and Doma the Angel of Silence, face up in a line. A diary was also open on the desk, as well as four blank cards. A picture of a lovely woman hung on the wall.  
  
"So, what are we looking for?" asked Tea.  
  
"Anything where my dad wrote down things about this tournament," answered Drake. Lara, Tristan, and Yu-Gi were admiring the painting.  
  
"It is beautiful," commented Lara, "And it looks hand painted."  
  
"I wonder who she is," added Yu-Gi.  
  
"In memory of Celia Pegasus," read Tristan.  
  
"She was my mother," said Drake, choking up a little bit. Lara walked over and held his hand. Joe and Tea were continuing to go through Pegasus's desk.  
  
"I found something!" exclaimed Tea.  
  
"What?" asked Yu-Gi walking over to the desk. He saw the four blank card. "Four blank soul cards! Pegasus actually kept his promise."  
  
"What does it say?" asked Tristan to Tea.  
  
"Here," she said and began to read. The remaining three entered the study at this point in time.  
  
*Flashback Reading Session*  
  
(AN/ excuse my ad-libs. I don't have a print out of the dialogue, so I am doing my best, bear with me. ~*~*~*~ means a date change.)  
  
Celia, my love, I will never forget the day I first met you. It was at the country club's annual spring banquet. I saw you there and was captivated by your beauty. I approached you like one would approach an angel. You grace did not reject me. We spent hours talking, and I was ensnared by your charm. I had to be one of the luckiest people alive at that moment.  
  
You continued to make my life pure joy. You became my girl friend, and my muse. You inspired me to paint. I could see the beauty of the fields, skies, and waters when I was with you. But none of it could compare to your beauty. You were my favorite subject. I could spend hours painting every detail of your perfect face. I loved to listen to your voice, and your laughter.  
  
Was it legal for a man to be so happy? Was it right that you gave me such joy? What did I do to deserve you? What did I do to gain your happiness? I did not deserve the bliss that you gave me. But then, you made me happier still, by taking my hand in marriage. Our love was meant to be. Angels had to gasp when they saw your smile. Celia, my love, my darling.  
  
But then tragedy happened. You were taken from me. It happened so fast. You got sick and left me. Our perfect love was shattered. I could no longer paint. The world had grown dark and cold. I would not let this happen. I could not lose you.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I tried to fulfill our dream of having a family together. I adopted a small boy, Drake, to raise as my own son. You should see him. His hopeful attitude reminds me so much of you. But it is too hard to have a family when you are not there, my love. Celia, I will find a way to find you.  
  
I went in search of any means to bring you back, any way to see your smile again. I combed the world, looking for anyway to connect myself to you.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
At long last my search took me to Egypt, where the ancients believed in a second life, and a way to communicate with those gone before. I found myself in an old bazaar. I found a man named Shadi there. We talked and he mention powerful magic for talking with the dead. I demanded more information but he brushed me off and left.  
  
I had to know. I had to find a way to bring you back to me. I followed him, he seemed oblivious to my presence. I followed him into a forgotten brick building. I entered and saw him open a secret panel, revealing a long, dark flight of stairs down. Shadi took it without hesitation. I followed, being careful not to make a sound.  
  
The stairs led to a room lit by torches. The walls were lined with hieroglyphics. What looked like a sarcophagus was in the middle of the room. Four golden objects glittered on the ancient coffin. There were groves for three more objects.  
  
I had thought my presence was unnoticed, but I was wrong. Two guards, dressed in dark robes grabbed me from behind and drug me forward.  
  
"So, you chose to follow, despite my warning," the mysterious Shadi simply said.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?!" I demanded.  
  
"No one my leave this chamber without facing a trial of the Millennial Items," explained Shadi. He walked near the sarcophagus's head and removed one of the objects. "This Millennial Eye shall test you. If you are not its true bearer then your mind shall be shattered."  
  
He walked over to me, placing the magical object over my left eye. A bright light was emitted and I cried in pain as the Millennial Eye made itself part of me. My mind was flooded with images, images I still have to sort out; ancient magic and memories of times passed. Magic filled my body, giving me strength and power I never dreamed existed. It changed me.  
  
But then I had a vision. A vision of what I had so desperately searched for. You, Celia, appeared in my arms. But the vision was just to torment me. It fade into nothingness.  
  
"NO!" I cried as I lost you again.  
  
"I see you are not reeling in agony," said Shadi, "You must be this Millennial Item's chosen bearer."  
  
"What happened?!" I demanded, "Where is she?"  
  
"The power of that Millennial Item can pierce the vision between realms," said Shadi, ignoring my distress. "But it alone is not strong enough for the job you would have it do."  
  
I stood up to charge him and get my answers. But two guards grabbed me and began to push me out. I felt a sensation in my Millennial Eye as I left. It was drawn to an Ankh shaped necklace on the mysterious man's neck. The guards left me outside, still in a desperate search for answers.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I returned home and began to formulate a plan. I learned to control the power of my Millennial Eye. While it may not be strong enough to bring you back, it is the key in attempting. I am attempting to make two Millennial Items, giving them power from technology and the Millennial Eye. The first is a gauntlet. If my theories are correct, it should teleport any person to another location. With its power and the Millennial Eye, I can open the vale between this world and the underworld. I will find you and teleport you back into this world, and into my arms, my love.  
  
I placed this pseudo-Millennial Item in Drake's care. Young Drake has grown up so much. He actually has a love now, a beautiful girl named Lara. Their love reminds me of our love, Celia. It is too painful to watch them, so I have buried myself into the creation of the second pseudo- Millennial Item. I am making a locket. The Millennial Locket has the power to bring life to things that are not alive. Once I have freed you from the realm of death, I will give you life with this item.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Drake did something unthinkable today. He entered my study and took the Millennial Locket and gave it to Lara as a token of his love. Celia, it hurts so much today. I can no longer bear the sight of them together. I am sending to girl away, so that I will not remember the pain of losing you. Celia, my love, I will do whatever it takes to get you back.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I have come up with a new plan. Using the power of all of the Millennial Items, and the new holographic technology of the Kaiba Corporation I will bring you back. Carrying out this plan will be hard. I need to find a way to locate all of the bearers of the Millennial Items, and to make Kaiba Corporation mine. I am willing to work, just to see you smile.  
  
*End Flashback Reading Session*  
  
"It goes on to describe how hard Pegasus worked to set up this tournament," said Tea as she scanned the diary. "He slowly gets more insane as he goes."  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Joe.  
  
"That is so sad," said Mai, border lining tears.  
  
"It makes sense now," commented Yu-Gi.  
  
"Who knew Pegasus had a soft spot," said Tristan.  
  
"I never knew I was adopted," muttered Drake, blown away.  
  
"It is OK," comforted Lara, "I am an orphan too."  
  
"So are we," said Shayla, "For that matter, I think the Kaibas are too. Seto is Mokuba's legal guardian."  
  
"What is this about pseudo-Millennial Items?" asked Joe.  
  
"Pseudo means false," said Shayla.  
  
"Is it true?" asked Yu-Gi. All eyes turned and noticed the gauntlet on Drake's arm and Lara's locket.  
  
"Yes," admitted Drake.  
  
"So, now what?" asked Joe.  
  
"Well, since Pegasus has freed his prisoners, I guess we can head home," suggested Yu-Gi.  
  
"What about the rest of the tournament?" asked Mai.  
  
"Pegasus is in no condition to duel now," Lara pointed out.  
  
"I wonder what happened?" asked Drake.  
  
"I don't like it," muttered Shayla. "Something feels very wrong."  
  
The group began to head down the staircase. Drake and Lara led the way. Joe, Tristan, and Tea were behind them, followed by Yu-Gi. Shayla and Martin brought up the rear. They started sown the stairs, but Shayla stumbled, putting them father behind the rest of the group. That was when she felt her Millennial Scales begin to vibrate.  
  
"What is going on, Martin?" she asked. He looked at her confused.  
  
Half way down the stairs Yu-Gi was being confronted by a man in a white robe and a turban who had appeared out of nowhere. He and Yu-Gi began to talk. Then the stranger held up his necklace, which was shaped like and Ankh. He put it on Yu-Gi's forehead and it went through his skull. The two figures were surrounded by a glowing light for a moment.  
  
Shayla and Martin turned the corner at this point. Martin saw this and gasped, nearly fainting again. Shayla sensed a surge of strange powers and braced herself. The stranger was talking.  
  
"I see that you are not responsible for the theft of the Millennial Eye. You are too pure, you may even be the chosen one. I, Shadi, will continue to search for those responsible. As the bearer of the Millennial Key and the Guardian of the Millennial Items, I will find the thief and restore the balance of magic," the stranger said. He stepped backwards and disappeared. Martin trembled, and dropped to the ground. For a moment Shayla feared he had fainted.  
  
"What was that?" she asked Yu-Gi.  
  
"I don't know," he replied, "He was looking for whoever stole the Millennial Eye. I don't know much more, except these Millennial Items are becoming important."  
  
"Pegasus's Millennial Eye was stolen?" asked Shayla, "No wonder he is sick. Can you help me with Martin?" Yu-Gi lent a hand and the three made their way down the stairs, meeting with the rest of the group in the arena.  
  
"How is Mokuba?" asked Tristan to Bakura.  
  
"He is beginning to wake up," said Bakura. Everyone looked down as Mokuba opened his eyes.  
  
"Huh? What happened?" he muttered.  
  
"Yay! He's awake!" exclaimed Tea.  
  
"You know what this means," said Joe to Yu-Gi.  
  
"Yeah, grandpa," Yu-Gi smiled.  
  
"Where is Seto?" asked Mokuba as he stood up.  
  
"Attention duelists," announced Croquet as he approached the group. "Due to Mr. Pegasus's illness the tournament is canceled."  
  
"What?" wondered Mai.  
  
"Yu-Gi, who actually won, has already received his prize of four freed souls," Croquet continued. "He is also going to be awarded with the prize money and the title 'king of games,' unless there are any objections." Surprisingly, no one said anything. "Also, Yu-Gi, you are award this rare card, The Ties of Friendship. It is the only one of its kind, had painted by Mr. Pegasus himself." Croquet handed Yu-Gi the card in a protective case and a check for three million dollars.  
  
"As I promised, Joe," said Yu-Gi as he handed the check to his friend.  
  
"Yes! Now Serenity can have her operation!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Thank you for participating, now, please leave," said Croquet as he roughly escorted them out.  
  
"How rude!" protested Joe as the doors of the castle closed behind them.  
  
"Don't think too much about it. That is how Croquet is," said Drake.  
  
"Hey, Drake," said Lara, "Since your dad is out of commission, doesn't that mean that you are in-charge of everything?"  
  
"I guess it does, but he isn't my dad," said Drake. "I am not sure yet if that is a good thing or a bad thing."  
  
"I am ready to head home," said Tristan.  
  
"I agree," added Tea.  
  
"I can't leave, not without Seto," protested Mokuba. Just hen the doors of the castle opened again and two more figures were pushed out.  
  
"Seto!" exclaimed Mokuba as he raced to his brother.  
  
"Mokuba?" wondered Seto Kaiba as he say the spiky haired boy race towards him.  
  
"I knew you would come. We are together now," said Mokuba as the Kaiba brothers were locked in a tearful embrace.  
  
"Where is he?!" demanded the other figure, Bandit Keith. "When I get my hands on that pompous....." He began to grumble, drawing attention to himself. Mai began to giggle, then Tea. A wave of chortling started down the group, which erupted into full-blown laughter.  
  
"What is so funny?!" demanded Bandit Keith, even Kaiba was having a problem keeping a straight face.  
  
"Quit it!!!" demanded Keith.  
  
"What are you wearing?" asked Mai between laughing and gasping for air. Bandit Keith had on a frilly apron, which was damp from drying dishes. He still had some soap suds on his hands.  
  
"Agh!" gasped Bandit Keith as he ripped it off. Joe, Tristan, and Drake were rolling on the ground from laughing. Mai and Lara were holding each other up. Shayla didn't get what was going on.  
  
"When I get my hands on that b------!" exclaimed Bandit Keith as he took off, around the castle because the main entrance was locked.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Drake.  
  
"What do you know!" snapped Bandit Keith as he left in a huff.  
  
"He is asking for trouble," muttered Drake. Slowly the group calmed down. "I'll escort you to the ship. My dad at least made certain that you had a way home. Come on." Drake lead the way to the dock. 


	24. Going Home

Moonlady: This meeting of the Penguin Opposition Force will now come to order.  
  
Lady Akhana * to Gema:* She is having too much fun with that line.  
  
Star: Any new business?  
  
Gema J. Gall: Yep! Introducing E-100 Alpha to POF!  
  
Demon Child: So you finally convinced him to join?  
  
Gema J Gall: Yep!  
  
E-100 Alpha: I am ready to save the worl.  
  
Demon Child: Can you call piranha bunnies?  
  
E-100 Alpha: Well, no......  
  
Demon Child: I didn't think so.  
  
E-100 Alpha: Is he for real?  
  
Lady Akhana: Sad to say, but yes.  
  
Star: Where are the Pharaohs Light and Dark?  
  
Moonlady: They said something about having some kind of clue.  
  
Gema J. Gall: Well, while we are waiting, we should try to get more members.  
  
Star: Yeah! Tell us in a review or send an e-mail to princess8light@yahoo.com or princessakhana@yahoo.com.  
  
Moonlady: We need you!  
  
E-100 Alpha: Does anyone know anyone in the mustard business? We could really us their help.  
  
Star: *To Akhana:* Didn't you say you were going to start a yahoo group? *Lady Akhana sweatdrops*  
  
Demon Child: The cool lightbulb just turned colors.  
  
Moonlady: I think the pharaohs have arrived.  
  
Pharaoh Light: Hi!  
  
Pharaoh Dark *as he lays down an unconscious college student:* Hello, sorry, we're late.  
  
Lady Akhana: What kept you?  
  
Gema J. Gall: And what did you do to him?  
  
Pharaoh Dark: We were looking into a nearby Burger King.  
  
Pharaoh Light: To see how big the threat was.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: The penguins haven't been there that long, so we were hoping to get lucky. But this worker resisted and we knocked him out.  
  
Pharaoh Light: So now we get to have fun questioning him and playing with our cool lightbulb.  
  
Star: Nice job!  
  
Moonlady: It is time to find those demon birds' plans.  
  
Demon Child: What?  
  
Lady Akhana: Not you, go play with your rabbits.  
  
Gema J Gall: Let the interrogation begin.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: What do you know about the penguins?  
  
Pharaoh Light: How long have you been working for them?  
  
Disoriented College Student: What happened? Where am I?  
  
Star: Bad answer.  
  
E-100 Alpha: Give up, you can't win.  
  
Disoriented College Student: You're mistaken.  
  
Gema J Gall: Excuse me, I need to borrow Shayla's Scales. *Runs off*  
  
Pharaoh Light: Then why is the light red?  
  
Disoriented College Student: I don't know, it's your light.  
  
Moonlady: He's an enemy.  
  
Demon Child: Let me sic my piranha bunnies on him, please.  
  
Star: Not yet.  
  
Gema J Gall: I got the scales! *Holds Millennial Scales*  
  
Pharaoh Dark: Now talk, what are the penguins' plans?  
  
Disoriented College Student: I don't know what you are talking about. *Scales tip*  
  
Lady Akhana: He's lying.  
  
Pharaoh Light: Answer us, what are the penguins planning to do?  
  
Moonlady: Answer honestly or DC Kantel gets you.  
  
Demon Child: Yay!  
  
E-100 Alpha: Isn't that a little extreme.  
  
All: No.  
  
Pharaoh Dark: One last time, tell us everything you know.  
  
Disoriented College Student: Never! You pathetic race shall be ours!  
  
Gema J Gall: OK, break out the vampire shadows.  
  
Demon Child: Yippee!  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Within an hour everyone had boarded and been assigned rooms. Since most of the crowd had already been deported, everyone was able to have a luxury suite. Joe, Bakura, Tristan, and Yu-Gi got the bottom floor. Mai, Shayla, Tea, and Martin were on the second floor. The Kaibas got the third level. Seto went inside of his room and hardly emerged the rest of the three day trip back. His helicopter, which was low on fuel, was tied to the top of the ship. The boat pulled out. Everyone except for the Kaibas waved good- bye to Lara and Drake as the boat pulled away.  
  
"Good-bye, and good luck!" called Mai to Lara.  
  
"You too," Lara called back.  
  
"Take care," said Joe.  
  
"Thanks for everything," added Yu-Gi.  
  
"Until next time," said Bakura.  
  
"It was great, I hope we see each other again," Drake said.  
  
"Don't get into too much trouble," joked Tristan as he saw Lara's arm slip around Drake's waist.  
  
"Be sure to write," added Shayla. Martin just waved shyly.  
  
The next night.....  
  
Shayla was leaning against the railing outside of her cabin, listening to the wind and the water. She was thinking about her insane vacation. As much as she hated her trip to the Shadow Realm, she really wasn't that eager to get back to the Group Home. Her thoughts turned to her Millennial Scales. She never would have guessed that her treasure was magic. The scales meant so much to her. They were the only gift from her dead friend. It hurt so much to think of Luther. She let out a long sigh as Mai exited her cabin, which was next to Shayla's.  
  
"Are you OK?" she asked.  
  
"Just thinking," Shayla replied.  
  
"It was a crazy week. If I had known all of this was going to happen I never would have come," said Mai.  
  
"Not even for the prize money?" asked Shayla.  
  
"The money doesn't seem so important now, not after all that Pegasus put everyone through in their duels. I am glad I didn't have to duel him," answered Mai.  
  
"I wish I was so lucky," muttered Shayla, inaudibly.  
  
"What happened after Yu-Gi's duel?" asked Mai. Shayla took a deep breath and began to recount her adventures in the Shadow Realm.  
  
"All of that happened?!" exclaimed Mai. "It sounds like something out of a sci-fi film."  
  
"I know," agreed Shayla, "I am still trying to figure it all out." There was a brief moment of silence. Up above, Seto Kaiba had emerged from his room for some crisp night air. Kaiba was trying to clear his head and figure a way to reclaim his company from Pegasus and his band of traitors. He heard voices and leaned over the rail. He saw who was talking, so he paused and eavesdropped.  
  
"Are you going to enter any more tournaments?" Mai asked at last.  
  
"I don't think so, not after this insanity," answered Shayla. She shifted positions, leaving her walking stick against the railing. It had been fixed with a strip of duct tape.  
  
"Why not, you are a good duelist, have a great deck, and know a lot about the game," Mai pointed out.  
  
"If every duelist is as crazy as the people I have met this week, why would I want to?" asked Shayla.  
  
"Why waste a talent?" Mai answered with her own question. Shayla stood silently for a moment.  
  
"I bet you have every female monster card ever made," Mai pointed out, "You deck is one of the best coordinated ones I have ever seen. Well, next to yours truly, of course." Shayla smiled.  
  
"I don't have every female card, although I have been trying hard to get them," admitted Shayla. "Not to mention a whole new set comes out at the end of the week, and I still have to get those."  
  
"Really, what cards don't you have?" asked Mai.  
  
"Dark Magician Girl, Dunames Dark Witch, and Leopard Girl," said Shayla. "I also don't have the two ritual female monsters; the Cosmo Queen and Performance of Sword. But I would also need the Cosmo Queen's Prayer and Commencement Dance ritual cards to use them."  
  
"Those are hard cards to find," admitted Mai, "but no harder than the cards you already have. How did you get so many?"  
  
"I won them off of other orphans," said Shayla with a smile.  
  
"I have an idea," thought Seto Kaiba. He gave one of his rare smiles as he remembered the blind girl trying to pick the locks to free him. "Actually, I have two ideas. I don't know where I got the first one from, but the second will help show the world who is in charge of Kaiba Corp."  
  
He vanished back into his cabin without a word. Mai and Shayla continued to talk until they both got to tired and called it a night.  
  
As the boat pulled into port.....  
  
Everyone stood eagerly on the deck, bags ready to head home from a hectic weekend. Everyone, but Shayla that is, who hung at the back of the group. The Kaibas had yet to make an appearance.  
  
"I am heading straight to the hospital and seeing grandpa," said Yu-Gi excitedly.  
  
"I want to call Serenity and tell her the good news!" exclaimed Joe.  
  
"Think of the phone bill," said Tristan.  
  
"I don't care," said Joe.  
  
"Let him be happy," scolded Tea.  
  
"I am just ready to get back to my apartment," said Mai, who had, by far, the most luggage.  
  
"I agree," said Bakura, "This week had been crazy. I am ready to get home." No one noticed a slight glitter that came from and object clutched in his right hand.  
  
The boat pulled into the port. Various people were milling around, eager to see the champions. A few reporters were there as well, ready to get the scoop. The boat stopped and the ramp was pulled down. Everyone picked up their bags and began to unload.  
  
"Where is Shayla?" asked Mai when she noticed there was one person missing. The group looked back. Shayla had sat down on the deck, half hidden by a coil of rope. She was shaking badly.  
  
"What is wrong?" asked Mai as she approached.  
  
"Are they here?" Shayla asked Martin fearfully. Martin walked over to the railing, scanned the crowd, and came back.  
  
"Yes," he answered.  
  
"Who?" asked Tea.  
  
"I can't go back," said Shayla, "I am not going back. There is nothing for me there. I can't go back."  
  
"Go back where?" asked Joe.  
  
"To the Group Home," answered Shayla, "I can't go back there. I am more afraid to go back there then I have been of anything else."  
  
"Then don't go back," said Mai.  
  
"I am not, I can't," said Shayla.  
  
"Then were are you going to go?" asked Tristan.  
  
"You can't just run-a-way!" protested Yu-Gi.  
  
"You can come with me," Tea and Mai volunteered at the same time.  
  
"Really?" asked Shayla, calming down.  
  
"Of course, it is my apartment, I am able to invite who I want to," answered Mai.  
  
"I am sure my parents wouldn't have a problem if you stayed a couple of days," added Tea.  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Shayla, "Because I will go with you." Martin looked down and frowned.  
  
"Yeah, come on," said Mai. "Here where this." She pulled out a floppy sun hat, which completely hid Shayla's face.  
  
"Are you sure about this?" asked Tristan.  
  
"Yes," answered the three girls. The group left the boat, keeping Shayla in the middle. While Yu-Gi and Tristan didn't approve, they weren't about to blow the cover, either. Shayla then dropped back with Martin.  
  
"Are you OK with this, Martin?" she asked. He quietly said yes. "You know this means we have to split up." Martin agreed again. A wave of sadness washed over them both.  
  
"I'll miss you," said Shayla. She put her hand on her younger friend's shoulder. "Cover for me, at least until I get out of here." Martin smiled sadly. Shayla hurried to catch up with Mai as Martin hung back.  
  
They exited the boat. Tea and Mai ushered Shayla quickly though the crowds as Joe, Tristan, Yu-Gi, and Bakura got caught by the reports. Martin walked sadly to the Group Home van.  
  
"Here we are," said Mai as they approached her silver convertible. Shayla and Mai entered. Tea waved them off. Mai drove to her apartment as Shayla wondered the wisdom of her decision.  
  
To be continued in Shayla's Story; Season 2..... 


End file.
